


Danganronpa V3: B-Side

by antingaround



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Iruma Miu's Dirty Mouth, New Dangan Ronpa V3 Spoilers, but also current me is a bad writer, fix-it? more like fuck-it lmao, it's bad writing all the way down, past me was a bad writer, perfectgold is my beta!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:15:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 55,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27699515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antingaround/pseuds/antingaround
Summary: The same enjoyable cast, the same enjoyable motives, a different enjoyable story. Uh, at least I hope it's enjoyable.This is a canon divergence of DRV3. What happens if the Mastermind of the Killing Game is exposed during the first trial?LATEST: The second trial continues. It's surprising someone hasn't been pushed off their podium yet. Also, Maria!Himiko au real???NOTE: No update today. Actually I haven't even started editing this section yet! Whoops.
Relationships: Akamatsu Kaede & Iruma Miu, Akamatsu Kaede & Saihara Shuichi, Chabashira Tenko & Yonaga Angie & Yumeno Himiko, Harukawa Maki & Momota Kaito & Saihara Shuichi, Hoshi Ryoma & Gokuhara Gonta & Chabashira Tenko, Oma Kokichi & Shinguji Korekiyo & Tojo Kirumi
Comments: 40
Kudos: 71





	1. Author's Notes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ramblings of the author. Feel free to skip this, or even skip to Chapt. 4 for the juicy canon divergence.

Hi, it's the author. There used to be a prologue here, but I smacked it into Chapter 2 instead, because I'm so much more important than the story, of course!

I'm just gonna outline my general thoughts on this story here, as well as give you an idea on what to expect. First of all, I'm totally a novice writer. This story is, to put it politely, rough around the edges, and I'm not at all satisfied with the earlier bits of it-- I might take a break to rewrite the earlier bits, but most likely I will not because I'm ready to write something fun and original instead of revisiting earlier work.

Second of all, I probably won't be taking this too seriously. Like, it won't be some nitty gritty whole dark analysis shebang, since I enjoy writing character interaction and slapstick comedy a lot more. Probably will touch on some deeper topics though, so just be warned I guess? I mean, it's Danganronpa, so...

Thirdly, even if I'm not too satisfied with this writing, it'll still be getting published til the very end, probably. I'll be sure to update you guys if I'm taking a longer break from writing, but my great amount of spite likely ensures that this is gonna be finished. It helps that this whole story is already outlined, too.

Lastly, tag info and writing style choices. Tagged characters are POV characters, though I'll stick with Kaede for the most part. Relationships are platonic. The romance will be obvious when you read it, but you probably shouldn't read this fic if you're looking specifically for romance because it's not gonna be too major a plot point. Writing style: Tenko will refer to herself in third person occasionally, and I'll throw the letter 'u' in Ouma and Toujo because I feel like it. I write in the past tense and third person limited POV, though I'll throw in some omniscient narrator snark whenever I feel like it.

O.K. Thanks for reading through all that, that's all for now. Enjoy reading, or don't, I won't judge. Toodles ❤️


	2. Ultimate Revival [0.A.1]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 16 Ultimate Students and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, and huge hugs to my beta-reader perfectgold.

"Nothing. No light. No sound. No form. No voice. No knowledge of who I am. ...Who am I? Who am I? I extend a hand. A hand that belongs to no one. To take hold of my existence-- This is me. My name is Kaede Akamatsu. I just remembered who I am. Nice to meet...me. I'm the protagonist of this crazy story."  
\- Kaede Akamatsu

<><><><><><><><><><>

Where was he? What had happened? Metal boxed him in on all sides when he opened up his eyes. After a while, he decided that given that he himself was made of metal, the sensation felt... disconcerting. Like being a prisoner in a cell made of his own skin! Such was the life of the Ultimate Robot. Finally, K1-B0 stopped philosophizing and punched the door, ready to escape the confines of the metal box and analyze the unfamiliar situation he had woken up in. It wouldn't have been the first time his memory cells had failed on him, so he wasn't too worried... yet. Professor Idabashi would likely contact him soon. There was just one problem with his plan: even with his hardest effort, the door wouldn't budge.

With a bang, a door slammed open next to K1-B0.

"Now what was that just now- Huh, this place is a fucking mess. Would be perfect for a new headquarters."

"U-Um... Who are you? Can you please let me out of here? I am K1-B0 Idabashi, the... uh, Ultimate Robot." No response came for a while, and K1-B0's artificial heart rate rose. Was that his savior, or his captor? Not for the first time, he wished that he had the ability to turn off the stress he was programmed to he feel.

Finally, the door swung open with a click, and a short purple-haired boy with a cheshire grin on his face revealed himself. 

"That wasn't so hard. Woah, is this thing on?" The boy poked K1-B0 in the chest. "I can't believe someone kidnapped me and brought me here just so I could be given a gift. Express mail would have been just fine."

K1-B0 tried to push the boy's hands away, but he suddenly pulled back. K1-B0 lost his balance and stumbled out of his cage. "Ah! ...Did you just say you were kidnapped? I don't know how I woke up in there-" he gestured toward what he now recognized as a school locker- "so I must have been kidnapped as well."

"Nee-hee hee, don't kid yourself. Even if you are- what did you call yourself?"

"I am K1-B0, the Ultimate Robot! Proud invention of the esteemed Professor Idabashi!"

"Yeah, whatever. Even if you are that, you can't possibly compare to being Kokichi Ouma. the Ultimate Supreme Leader!" He puffed out his chest and smiled with bared teeth. "But, hey, while we're here, I want to check you out!"

K1-B0 felt a bit embarrassed and patronized by Kokichi's attention on his robotic features, who quickly expressed interest in taking K1-B0 apart because "robots are super duper cool! Hey, Keebo, does your left arm turn into a machine gun? And does your right turn into a laser sword?" Mortifyingly enough, he had continued poking K1-B0 all over the exoskeleton and outer armor of his body. 

"Please, do not touch my body like that! I am a high school student just like you, so please treat me like one!"

Kokichi appeared genuinely hurt by K1-B0's rejection and started sniffling, making K1-B0 feeling bad for being the cause of the tears springing from the boy's eyes. "W-waah!", he cried, "I'm just super confused and scared about the situation we're in!"

"Er..." Taking a moment to recall how comfort worked, K1-B0 said, "There, there. I apologize if I spoke too harshly, please forgive me." 

The supreme leader instantly perked back up and gave a thumbs up. "That's okay, Keeboy, I didn't expect for a dumb robot to even understand human emotions in the first place!"

Before K1-B0 could fall for Kokichi's bait ( _That's robophobic!_ ), an unfamiliar voice sounded in K1-B0's head. The robot was so surprised, he didn't even register what the voice had said. "Kokichi? Did you say something just now?" K1-B0 scanned the classroom for the source of the voice, but no one had entered the classroom since the two had left the lockers.

"Huh? Don't tell me you're defective, and I got sent to a robot junkyard? That would explain why the classroom we ended up in is almost as dirty as you are! ...Hey, wait, does that mean I'm a robot in this junkyard?" Kokichi smiled and crossed his arms over his head before he kicked open the classroom door and casually strolled out.

K1-B0 frowned. _Just who was the speaker of that voice just now?_ After taking a moment to inspect the overgrown classroom with his decidedly average eyesight, K1-B0 also left the mysterious classroom...

...And rammed face-first into someone. 

K1-B0 lost his footing. Arms flailing wildly, he caught onto the first anchor point he could reach. Unfortunately, due to a movement-brain coordination error, his hands latched onto...

"H-hey, what the fuck? I know everyone wants to grope my huge tits, but at least ask for my name first?" 

Although K1-B0 could not "feel" human embarrassment, his face color changed into a scarlet red. "S-sorry! I'm sorry! It was an honest mi-"

"Wait, don't worry about it, I'll tell ya right now! I'm Miu-fuckin'-Iruma, the gorgeous girl genius whose golden brain and good looks will go down in history! The Ultimate Inventor!" Miu cackled for a good 10 seconds, finally getting interrupted by Kokichi.

"Hey, what's all this snorting I hear? Oh wow, a pig in the flesh. Is this the first time you've seen one before, Keeboy? Now, the three of us could make a good joke. A robot, a supreme leader, and a pig walk into a bar..."

"Ah, wait~ You're a robot!??" Miu poked K1-B0 in the cheek, ignoring Kokichi "Wwhaaat the fuuckkkk!!?? Am I still high!? C'mere, I wanna see how you tick!" 

Miu produced a wrench from... somewhere... underneath her uniform and held it out towards K1-B0, face flushed and nearly salivating in excitement. Kokichi calmly walked away unnoticed with a childish grin.

"Hey! H-Hey, I do not consent to this...!"

<><><><><><><><><><>

"I'm not going to say sorry for flipping a degenerate male! It's your fault for waking up so close to me!!" Tenko jumped onto her feet and took stock of her surroundings: she was outside, overgrown blades of grass tickling her ankles. To her left was a large, oddly shaped building, with letters spelling out DORM on the roof. To her right, a well-built male lay on the ground, glasses askew and eyes blinking owlishly at her.

The male sat up and slowly stood up, extending his right hand out towards Tenko. "A-ah, that's okay, Gonta is sorry for waking up next to you... U-um, my name is Gonta Gokuhara. Gonta is trying to be gentleman, but most people call me the Ultimate Entomologist instead!"

Tenko's posture relaxed when she realized that the ( _terrifyingly muscular_ ) male was not a threat, _yet_ , but didn't move to return Gonta's handshake. Her Neo-Aikido throws were able to analyze the emotions of the person she threw, and Gonta was clearly just as confused as she was. Tenko did an ( _un-ladylike_ ) grimace and roared, "I am Tenko Chabashira, Ultimate Aikido Master! I can't believe a degenerate male kidnapped both of us! They truly have no honor, kidnapping a fellow male as well!"

Gonta frowned and took a moment to think. Confused, he asked, "How do you know it was a guy that took us? Gonta so stupid, he can't remember anything about how he got here."

"Ah! I don't remember either, but I know something so terrible can only have been done by a terrible male!"

"O-okay, if you say so... Gonta thinks you know better than him, so I will believe you!"

"Alright then! Since you seem fine, just this once, Tenko will allow a degenerate male to come along with her to figure out who kidnapped us!" The neo-aikido practitioner did a couple of stretches and sprinted off, leaving Gonta with little choice but to follow.

<><><><><><><><><><>

Kaede's headache returned in full force after her fifth introduction with an Ultimate Student. All these... unique personalities, to put it politely, were understandably testing both her and Shuichi's patience and sanity. _Oh geez, here comes another one of them!_

"Hey, how are you guys holding up? I'm Rantaro Amami, by the way." A student with matcha-green hair and dressed in a simple sweater and baggy light-brown pants walked up to them. _Hey, this one isn't wearing BDSM gear or a bikini two-piece! Not that there's anything wrong with the way those two dressed, of course, it's just... unconventional!_

The pianist responded with a bright smile and the two shook hands. "Hello! I'm Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist, and this is Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective! Do you have any idea what's going on? Actually, do you remember anything at all about how you got here?"

"Nope. To be perfectly honest, I don't even know what my Ultimate talent is. Guess I'm pretty unique, huh?" Rantaro was oddly calm about the situation, pausing to smile before continuing. "However, I did get approached earlier by... ah... robotic stuffed animals, I believe?"  
Rantaro pulled a familiar tablet, a bit larger than his hand, out of an impossibly large pant pocket. A couple of taps on the screen brought up what was presumably a map of the compound they were currently trapped in. "They told me to head to the gym as soon as possible."

Kaede and Shuichi's eyes met, processing this new information. Before the silence got too awkward, the pianist smiled and replied, "Hey, that's alright! I'm sure your memories will return soon! If I could, I would definitely play a piece for you on the piano... something that would let you focus. Like Erik Satie's Gymnopédie No.1! Or, oh! How about a piece like-"

The Ultimate "Enigma" politely interjected. "I would appreciate that, thank you. But let's head to the gym to investigate our situation first, right?" A blush crept across Kaede's face- _piano freak strikes again._

"A-alright, you go on ahead and we'll try to round up the stragglers! Right, Shuichi?" The detective nodded, and the two waved goodbye to Rantaro and continued their walk through the school.

<><><><><><><><><><>

Tsumugi Shirogane giggled when she "received" her Monopad from the five adorable Monokubs. _The audience will love these guys for sure, and the franchising opportunities will be huge, corporate will love me for this!_

Monophanie cheerily whispered to her conspiratorially, "Alright! Do your best in this Killing Game for us women! You know I hate the thought of all this gore, but us girls have got to stick together, y'know?"

Monosuke socked the pink bear in the face. "Sorry, I just tripped! Anyways, now that you've shut up..."

**"SO LONG! BEAR WELL!"**

_Ah, maybe I shouldn't have made their personalities so violent... I'm sure the audience will love it, though... the political incorrectness is what made Monokuma so loveable in the first place, right?_

Kirumi glanced up from the Monopad she was given. "If I may ask, what did the pink bear whisper to you just now?" she inquired.

"Oh, she told me my dress looked nice... it was surprising, 'cause I'm usually so plain-looking, you know?"

_This story was starting out wonderfully! The fans are going to love Season 53 more than Season 52! The plot twists, the heartbreak, the despair and the hope... Tsumugi was just so excited about it all!_

<><><><><><><><><><>

Thirteen Ultimate students had already gathered in the gymnasium by the time Kaede and Shuichi sprinted inside. Himiko trailed in after them, and the odd-patterned red bear locked the gym doors behind her. Upon seeing the Ultimate Mage, a girl with an odd pinwheel accessory in her hair waved hyperactively at her. _It seems like she's... vibrating._

The vaulted room was a mockery of a Japanese high school gymnasium. Although there was no visible light source, the room was brightly-lit. Grass, flowers, and even a couple of trees grew along the walls of the room, and a dilapidated stage was set up on the wall opposite the entrance doors. Four plush robotic bears- and one completely robotic one- fumbled with a set of speakers by the stage.

With thirteen sets of eyes on the tardy trio, Kaede decided to quickly explain why they were late: "Himiko was looking for a way to break through the walls outside, but she, uh..."

Himiko quickly cut in before Kaede could do her magical prowess a disservice. "I spent too much of my mana on looking for an escape route... so I had to regenerate it, nyeeh..." Before anyone could respond to her (completely true) statement, earsplitting microphone feedback rang from the large twin speakers set by the stage. (Obviously, Himiko cast a Deafening spell for herself in the nick of time, so she was safe from its effects. Mostly.)

All focus was on the stage; a wave of tension flooded the room.

Yet another stuffed bear, black and white, leaped onto the podium set on the stage. In its hand was a microphone. _Nyeeh? What's with all these animatronics?_ As soon as it got onto its feet, all the lights in the gymnasium shut off. Himiko prepared to cast a Fire spell, and...

The thick apprehension in the air overflowed, and the gym descended into chaos.

"A-ah, it's plain to see that this is simply a planned reenactment of that popular American horror game with the robot animals, but only with bears to avoid copyright laws! No need to panic..."

"Hey, fuckheads! If this is someone's shitty idea of a joke, fess up now before u-uh, I rip your sorry excuse of a dick off and stuff it down your throat!"

"I completely agree! I just can't believe it! Just when Tenko thinks degenerate males can't get any worse, they go and do something like this!"

"Hey guys, calm down, why don't we ask the bear what's going o-"

"Nee-hee hee, I can't wait to see what will happen here~"

"Rantaro's right, let's all just take a minute... imagine Chopin's Nocturne No. 20 and calmly analyze the situation-"

**"HEY! LISTEN UP, BASTARDS!"**

The bear finally spoke up. Several flood lights mounted above the stage dramatically flashed on one by one, spotlighting the podium and the stuffed animal that stood upon it. Its left eye flashed, bathing the podium in red. _Woah, that was a pretty good performance. I should totally... borrow that technique._

The green-haired guy- ( _Rantaro, wasn't it?_ ) was the first to speak up. Taking a short moment to steady his breath, he crossed his arms and asked, "Why are we here? Who are you... and why can't we remember anything?"

Giggling, the animatronic put its twin paws over his mouth. "Normally, I would lead you guys on a bit more, but let's cut to the chase cuz... I'm getting bored here. My name is Monokuma! I'm the headmaster of the Ultimate Academy of Gifted Juveniles, and you children are here to participate in our super special **Killing School Semester!** "

_The w-what?_

<><><><><><><><><><>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates for this "section" of the story will be incrementally posted to help me with my buffer. I'm thinking... once a week, maybe? Thanks for sticking with me, readers. Feedback is appreciated!


	3. My Class Trial, Our Class Trial [1.A.1]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1 Speedrun Any%

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this chapter. CW: Death. It's not as graphic as I plan on writing character deaths since... I mean, we already know what's going to happen, and I won't tag it from now on to avoid spoilers and such. I've found the time limit motive to be rather... constricting... narrative-wise, cause like... the reasons for murder just get more and more wild each chapter. Like, why didn't you just take the First Blood Perk, Miu? Oh, but enough about my thoughts on the game. Please enjoy this chapter.

  
**This chapter is under construction because I kind of hate it. If you check it out later, um... it might be better? Or just go ahead and read it, but keep in mind this isn't my best stuff.**

"I was just thinking, what you said back there would have pissed off whoever's running this. They definitely don't want us holding hands, workin' together...They're going to come for you, Kaede. With everything they've got. I'm a little worried about you. You're just so...straightforward."  
\- Rantaro Amami

<><><><><><><><><><>

The bear-- Monokuma-- continued without missing a beat. "Okay, kids! Take out the "Monopads" my cute little cubs gave you earlier, and you'll find that I've added a section of rules! After all, every good society needs to run on rules, and this Killing Game isn't any different!

And for those of you that threw away your Monopads, I'll give you new ones now cuz I'm such a great headmaster! See, this is the character development you love to see, isn't it~?"

Monokuma snapped its fingers, and the five other bears appeared out of seemingly nowhere to hand out more tablets. "And don't lose them now! That's against the rules, cuz it's a waste of social resources! You know how much our benefactors pay for this kind of stuff, right?

Oh, and let me explain how these Deluxe Monopads™ work! Regular Monopads just have the Rules and Guidelines and a map of the school, but these Deluxe Monopads™ are super special. Along with having a customizable UI, it also has a notepad function and camera app! It'll be super useful for investigations, don't you think?"

Monokid added in, "Hell yeah! It's totally much more useful than a woman like Monophanie, or a robot, like Monodam! Woo! fuck Monodam!"

"..."

<><><><><><><><><><>

_A Killing Game?_ To say Korekiyo Shinguji was intrigued by the idea would be an understatement. Although the "battle royale" type trope was common in modern media, there was no historical precedent of such an event happening in real life. Although humanity seemed to be enamored with the concept of homicide, no one had stepped up to make something as beautiful as a killing game happen in reality. _Until now._

Upon further introspection, it would be misrepresentative to say that Kiyo was intrigued by the concept of a Killing Game. No, he was... _fascinated_.

Around him, the gymnasium erupted into chaos. A couple of students banged on the exit doors, but they had been locked. Some were crying, some were in shock, some were yelling at the bear, and some... seemed completely calm. _It is truly beautiful, seeing the way these Ultimates react to the situation. They are among the best society has produced... What will they do? And... What will I do?_

_Ah, if only my sister was here. She would love to be a part of this situation. I will simply have to experience it for her, and carry on her legacy!_

<><><><><><><><><><>

Rantaro tried to comb through his swiss cheese memories, trying to remember why the nonsensical rules to the Killing Game sounded so... **familiar**. Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He jumped back in surprise, wheeling around and turning to face Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist.

"H-hey," Kaede whispered, "You look pretty calm right now about all this... shouldn't we do something about it... Get the situation under control? Rally everyone together and look for an escape route instead of panicking?"

"Ah, I'm sure everyone... will follow you, Kaede. Why don't you give it a shot? I believe in you." Rantaro watched as Kaede singlehandedly managed to shut everyone up and motivate them with a quick speech. _She seems like the leader type, and pretty trustworthy too. If there **is** anyone I can trust here... it'd probably be her._

"Ahem, now that everyone has calmed down, I have a second thing to announce!" Monokuma's red left eye flashed ominously, and it raised his arms up dramatically.

"Every good society needs a way to enforce the rules, to make sure criminals can't just get away with rulebreaking! And this school is no different~"

Maki Harukawa pulled Kaito Momota out of the way just before the gym doors slammed open, revealing five towering not-quite-humanoid mechas, each about 3 meters tall. But it wasn't the height that concerned Rantaro, no. Each mecha was equipped with heavy artillery, and clearly had the power to easily dismember a human being. And... _for some reason, they look very familiar._

"These are my Exisals! Each one is piloted by a Monokub, and they'll be responsible for renovating the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles during your stay here. Tee-hee!" Monokuma jumped off the podium and ran out of the gym, the Exisals turning around and lumbering after it.

Before everyone could panic again, Kaede shouted, "Alright! We shouldn't listen to what the bear has to say, right guys!? We should use all of our Ultimate Talents to escape!! Let's leave this place, together!"

_Yeah, if there's anyone I can trust here, it'd be her._

Although the gymnasium had become quiet, Tenko and Kaito both passionately shouted "YEAH!" at the same time. The sound reverberated through the empty room.

Tenko glared at Kaito, but before she could say anything, Kaito continued with a thumbs up, "I agree with her! Follow me, everyone, and I'll find you guys the exit right away!" Winking, he walked to the gym doors and swaggered out of the gym.

_I hope we can all escape together, but something tells me..._

<><><><><><><><><><>

Ever the realists, Kokichi, Kiyo, and Ryoma had never believed they could finish Death Road of Despair. They sat out after the first attempt, watching the group become more and more worn down after every try. After the third attempt, Angie joined them.

"Atua says that crossing the Death Road in our current state is not meant to be," she said with a placid smile. She jumped onto a barrel of questionable origin laying on the sewer floor and sat on it, crossed her legs, and started to meditate. A calm aura emanated from her.

Miu stomped out of the tunnel shortly after. "Like hell I'm gonna be trusting the Exisals to save my amazing ass again! Fuck this place, I'll get out of here by myself!" She shot a dirty glare at Kokichi. "You knew this tunnel was impossible from the start, right?!"

Kokichi pretended not to hear her and struck up a conversation with Kiyo, who conveniently happened to be lurking right next to him. Miu let out a dramatic sigh and climbed out of the sewers, mumbling something about "finding awesome shit in the warehouse."

"I know you only talked to me to avoid speaking to that... woman..., but now is as good a time for conversation as any. What are your thoughts on the group we have been trapped with?" Korekiyo stared at Kokichi.

Kokichi pretended to think for a while, tapping his pointer finger against his chin in mock thought. "Well, Kork, I think a bunch of 'em are hiding stuff! Dirty, dirty, secrets~" he finally announced with a broad grin. "Do yoouuuu have any dirty secrets you want to share with the class, Kee-yooo? Anything... sinister lurking in your past?"

Korekiyo responded without missing a beat. "My sister died investigating an ancient culture and I want to follow in her footsteps. I will discover the culture's secrets to bring her soul peace in the afterlife. What about you?"

"Wow! What a bombshell! Such a touching story!" Kokichi's eyes glittered with tears. "Well, cuz I'm the leader of a super duper secret organization with tens of thousands of members, I-"

Tsumugi stepped out of the tunnel before Kokichi could finish his statement, shortly followed by the rest of the students. Rantaro, Shuichi, and Kaede trailed behind everyone else. Kaede wore an embarrassed blush on her cheeks, and she was about to say something to the group before Kokichi spoke up.

"So, now that you guys are done with that hopeless distraction, let's take a break and head to the dorms! It's almost nighttime, isn't it?" His cheerful expression and grin flipped upside-down. "And hey, why don't you guys think about who to actually  listen to in the meantime?"

"Atua says that he agrees with Kokichi! Let's give up, right guys? It's the right thing to do, cuz Atua said so!"

"If you guys wish, I will cook everyone dinner so you don't go to bed hungry. We should meet at the dining hall for breakfast as well."

"I will offer my help in preparing the meal, as I do not require nutrients from food myself!"

"Nyeeh, I'm too tired for food... I think I'll just sleep for a hundred years..."

"Gonta is sorry for leading everyone down here, it was very ungentlemanlike-"

"Nee-hee hee! If you guys wanna blame someone, shouldn't you blame the person that convinced you to do the road again and again?"

In the end, the group filtered out of the sewers, with a few glances of.. pity? Anger? Being spared to Kaede. Kaede, Shuichi, and Rantaro were the last to leave the Death Road of Despair behind.

<><><><><><><><><><>

A pleasant 4-tone bell rang. _I guess this is what a school bell sounds like. I wonder if the kids ever ended up going to public school...?_ The monitor in Maki's room flickered on, the screen filling with static for a split second before revealing... what appeared to be a child's nursery room. A rather gaudy orange and yellow settee sofa was set in the center of the scene. Small puppets, which appeared to be modeled after the students trapped in the school, were haphazardly placed all over the room, some even hanging from strings suspended from the ceiling.

Childrens' toys littered the ground. They looked... new, a far cry from the toys the kids played with back at the orphanage. _Fuck, I hope the kids are alright without me doing the... job. They better not have chosen another kid to... replace me. Shit, shit shit. I really need to get out of here._

While Maki was having what definitely was not a crisis, the Monokubs had appeared on the screen and appeared to be finishing whatever spiel they had been assigned to read aloud.

" -and the doors to the dining hall and gym will be locked! Bed-time, ursine! **SO LONG, BEAR WELL!** " Maki waited for the screen to flicker off, and decided to go on with her original plan.

Maki opened her dorm room just a crack and peeked out, making sure no one was loitering outside. She snuck out of the dormitory building, letting the dim light of the crescent moon illuminate the path to the boiler room building. The manhole to the sewers lay uncovered, and Maki climbed down the ladder. Her combat boots made no sound on the metal rungs.

After a couple of full body stretches, Maki was ready to attempt the Death Road of Despair, not as the Ultimate Child Caregiver, but as the Ultimate Assassin.

"Rise and shine, ursine!~" The orange-brown Monokub jumped out from behind a barrel. Maki showed no signs of surprise, and simply blinked at him.

"What do you want."

"Well, issa standard safety protocol! We gots to monitor your progress on the Death Road, so you don't fall to your death or get blown up!" Monosuke climbed into an Exisal- _fuck, had that always been there?_ and gave a thumbs up with its left hand.

Instead of defying the mecha with a machine gun _like certain idiots in the group_ , Maki ignored it and started down the tunnel...

...and woke up in her dorm room. Bright light filtered through her eyelids. Blinking, Maki sat up, feeling sore, and noted the bloody bandages wrapped around her torso and limbs. _I don't **think** those were there before... What the hell?_

She decided to ignore the tightness in her chest for now and creaked open the dorm room. No one was in the main lobby- just how late was it? Maki left the dorm building, looking at the sun to try and judge the time. _Shit, it's already around eleven. What happened last night?_ Unfortunately, Maki had no time to think about it, as she was immediately set upon by Kaito Momota.

"Where were you? You missed Kirumi's amazing breakfast!" Kaito finally spotted Maki's bandages and turned pale.

"H-hey, what happened? Did someone try to kill you? That's absolutely unforgivable! Let's get you medical aid right away! HEY! GUYS! I NEED-"

Maki put a hand over Kaito's mouth before the astronaut could attract more attention. "I was attempting the Death Road of Despair last night. Don't tell anyone else. Walk away."

Hopefully, there were bandages in stock in the warehouse. _At least I can dress the wounds myself, no thanks to all the fucking assassin training._

<><><><><><><><><><>

Kaede's offer to help clean up lunch was quickly turned down by Kirumi. However, Kaede refused to leave the dining hall until she received a promise from Kirumi to let her help cook dinner. After finally being shoo-ed away by the Ultimate Maid, Kaede left the dining hall feeling worse than before. Both breakfast and lunch were awkward affairs, quite a few students ( _friends, they're my friends_ ) choosing not to show up to either one or both meals. At the large table, only Rantaro and Kokichi had attempted to start a conversation.

Kaede herself had struggled throughout the meal to find a time to apologize to everyone for what she had put everyone through yesterday, but... _Everyone acted as if nothing bad had happened... does that mean they forgive me? Maybe I shouldn't bring it up at all, it'll bring up bad memories... And I still want everyone to believe in me!_

Before she could wander far, Shuichi approached her. "H-hey Kaede, do you... want to explore the school some more? ...Together, I mean?"

Kaede stepped closer to Shuichi and clasped his hands in hers before he could doubt himself and go back on his offer. "Alright Detective, let's go! Got any suspicious places you want to check out?"

"A-ah! Okay, first of all, I want to double-check my theory about the library... remember that **thing** we saw yesterday while exploring?"

"Of course! Do you think we'll find anything weird?"

"Oh, I'm not sure, but I think... we should be able to find something... u-unless I messed up...!"

"Hey, chin up! I'm sure you did fine, let's just go already!" The two set off through the hallways, making sure not to reveal anything about their plan away to prying ears. _Or the mastermind, but I don't want to think about that possibility... There's no way the mastermind of the Killing Game is really among us, is there?_

Kaede decided to check out her Ultimate Lab after the revelation about the moving bookcase. There was simply no better way to unwind after a stressful situation than playing the piano for a while! Her fingers subconsciously tapped out harmonies on her skirt as she walked up the stairs to the second floor of the school. As she was about to enter her Ultimate Lab, she noticed Tsumugi stepping out of the classroom opposite the Lab room.

"Hey, Tsumugi!" Kaede called out, "What are you up to?"

"W-Woah! Don't scare me like that, Kaede... I'm not as strong as you are, and I am way too nervous to be jumpscared... haha..."

"Wait, I'm just as scared as you are, Tsumugi! Wait, I know, let's hang out later and try to calm each other down?" Kaede was excited at the prospect and pumped her fists. "Oh, why don't we have a sleepover with the rest of the girls tonight?

I'm sure it will be super fun and help calm everyone down! Hey, why don't we paint each other's nails? I got some cool stuff from that fishy machine in the school store downstairs..."

Tsumugi's glasses glinted ominously, and she put her hands on her hips. "Alright! Let's do it! You guys can even try out some of my cosplay~ I'll be sure to let the rest of the girls know about it..." The cosplayer waved goodbye to Kaede and walked downstairs, new energy restored to her movements.

_Okay, now I can finally get to playing! I wonder what I should play..._ The Ultimate Pianist's Lab was... beautiful. Racks of CDs lined the left wall, and the right wall housed a crystal clear floor-to-ceiling window. There was just one problem... Music sheets were messily strewn on the ground everywhere, ruining the room's calming aesthetic.

Kaede sighed, fighting against her urges, but squatted down to clean up the room's floor up regardless. _I could always ask Kirumi, but she's probably so busy... she deserves some alone time after all her hard work yesterday._

(Of course, Kaede had no way of knowing Kirumi had put on gardening gloves and was de-weeding the dining hall with the manic energy of an unholy avenging angel at the very moment.)

_Alright! Now, I'm **finally** ready to play!_ The room was spotless, perfect for helping to develop the clear headspace necessary for the piano. Kaede stretched out and sat down on the piano bench (which, she noted, was able to sit two), ready to play a nice classical piece. _Maybe some Mozart?_

But as soon as her fingers touched the keyboard, the door flew open and Tenko Chabashira barreled in. Miu Iruma wobbled into the room behind her. _Those two were missing during lunch earlier. Where did they go?_

"Kaede! Do you know if the warehouse here has prescription medication!!!" Tenko shouted at Kaede in an unnecessarily loud voice.

"H-huh? Do you have a serious medical condition you haven't told us about? And why is-"

Miu interrupted, "Before you say anything, titless, I'm not looking to get drugs or anything! I just want to know where they are. For research purposes! I, uh, definitely haven't-"

Tenko responded to Kaede, pretending Miu had not spoken. "Just some Adderall! Don't worry about it, I remember my prescription, I think!"

The pianist took a deep breath and rubbed circles on her forehead. _**Fuck.**_

Against her will, Kaede was dragged out of her safe haven. She cast a longing look at the beautiful, black, shiny, new, in-tune, high quality, amazingly crafted grand piano before the door slammed shut behind her.

The massive school warehouse ( _Why does this school need so much stuff, anyway?_ ) was stocked to the sky-high roof with supplies, but there was no way to access the top shelves.

"Shit, I guess I'll have to invent those drugs for you, Tencrotch! With my golden brain, it should be no problem~ Whatcha need? I'll do it, long as you beg me!!"

Kaede finally let the long-suffering sigh she had been holding in crawl out of her throat. "Why don't you just... Oh, I don't know, make a ladder?"

"Shit! Of course, an ugly pleb like you would think of something as boring as that!! I'm Miu-fuckin-Iruma, and I'll invent whatever the fuck I want... bitch!" The crass inventor wandered off, muttering darkly about "huge-chested whores", because of course.

"So, Kaede! Can you help me look for my medication? It would mean a lot to me!" _I mean, you're hardly giving me a chance to refuse..._

Despite their earnest efforts, Kaede and Tenko left the warehouse empty-handed. However, they did see Miu sprint past them on the way out, arms cradling various sharp and dangerous tools. _How does **she** of all people have access to a circular saw??_

<><><><><><><><><><>

Kaede finally, finally, **finally** got in half an hour of piano playing before it was time to help Kirumi make dinner for everyone. Although the amount of happiness (some had even described it as ecstasy) she got from simply playing the piano was slightly concerning, Kaede supposed her piano obsession fit her title of Ultimate Pianist fairly well.

Kirumi's only job for Kaede was chopping konjac, for some bizarre reason. Before the room could be filled with awkward tension, Kaede spoke up. "Hey, Kirumi, can I ask you something?"

"Of course. I will endeavor to answer your question as best I can."

"Do you think everyone else blames me for putting them through the Death Road of Despair yesterday?"

"Although I cannot speak for everyone else, I certainly do not. After all, it is clear that you were trying to help everyone. Please, rest assured that we can understand that you had the best intentions in your actions." Kirumi always knew what to say to someone, one of the many skills required of being the Ultimate Maid.

"Thank you so much, Kirumi! By the way, us girls are having a sleepover tonight..."

"Do you require me to make preparations for you?" Kirumi seemed all too excited at the prospect of extra work. _And they call me obsessed with my talent...!_

"N-no, of course not! You've already done so much today- I noticed that you even cleaned up the dining hall this afternoon! I was wondering if you wanted to join us?"

"Well, if you are asking me to join-" _Geez, don't make everything so tough! It's a yes or no question!_

"O-only if you want to, I swear! It's your choice, Kirumi!"

"Ah, then I shall pass. I will explore the school tonight and do my best to uncover any secrets that may only be visible during the dark."

Kaede bit back her next words, thinking ahead to the circular conversation it would create. ("Shouldn't you take a break and relax?" "If you are telling me to do it, then...")

"Okay Kirumi, thanks a lot for all your hard work!"

"It is simply my selfless devotion to you all. Please, think nothing of it." Kirumi and Kaede worked together to make dinner for the Ultimates in companionable silence.

_I'm actually pretty glad for all this busywork. It's a good distraction from... this whole situation, I guess._

<><><><><><><><><><>

Nighttime arrived, and with it came the promise of the sleepover. Kaede changed out of her "uniform" and into her pajamas. Trying not to look at the rack filled with identical uniforms ( _how did the kidnappers find out my measurements beforehand and make all these clothes?_ ), Kaede tossed her dirty uniform into the laundry basket in the closet.

"Woo, nice shot!" Kaede giggled to herself. _It's the small things that will make my stay here bearable. One step at a time!_

Kaede grabbed the bottle of nail polish she promised to bring earlier, and carried her pillow and comforter in her arms, heading towards Tsumugi's room. _Although all our bedding probably looks the same... it'd be nice to pretend, just a little, that this is a normal sleepover with friends._

Kaede entered Tsumugi's room, early to the event (as usual). After being late to one to many concerts after various forms of outrageous delays, Kaede supposed she had developed a sort of knack for being early to everything. As soon as she entered the room, Tsumugi gave her a friendly wave and patted the spot on the carpet next to where Tsumugi herself was sitting.

As Kaede was setting her comforter down and making herself warm and cozy, Angie entered the room with a cheery hello. The others streamed in shortly after- Tenko plopped down with a noticeable thud, carrying Himiko in her arms. Not surprisingly, the quiet girl- Maki- did not arrive. More surprisingly, Miu was not present. _It seemed like she'd be the sort of person to enjoy something like this._

(Maki was lying in bed on her aching back, staring at the ceiling. No cracks, unlike her old room at the orphanage. Maki didn't sleep much during her time with the Holy Salvation Society, so she didn't quite remember how her room looked then. Maki knew she was not going to be able to fall asleep that night. Oh, what she wouldn't give to be able to find painkillers in the warehouse.)

(Miu was testing out her new invention that somehow was automatically taking an inventory of all the items in the warehouse. A ladder lay forgotten next to a high shelf. With each new item that was cataloged, she was notified by a... vibration. It was a very pleasant way to spend the evening, and definitely much better than what that loser Kaediot had planned. At least, that's what she kept telling herself.)

The girls sat cross-legged in a rough circle. The carpet floor was covered in identical comforters at this point. They talked about whatever would come to mind: what they remembered of their high school experiences, what they missed about the outside world, how they would escape the school come morning. Gradually, Kaede could see shoulders relax and smiles grace tense faces. _Why does Tsumugi look kinda upset? Does she want to put us in cosplay **that** badly?_

To Kaede's surprise, about thirty minutes through the informal sleepover, a knock sounded on Tsumugi's door. After a fast (and furious) game of Rock Papers Scissors, Kaede stood up and padded over to the door. Rantaro Amami stood at the entrance to the room, holding a complete nail polish application set.

"Oh, I heard you girls were having fun painting nails, so I thought I might-"

Tenko was clearly about to scream at the "degenerate male", but Kaede frantically gestured at a sleeping Himiko whose head was in Tenko's lap. With a blush, Tenko had no choice but to shut her mouth and let the boy join their informal blanket circle.

Giggling, Kaede let Rantaro "professionally" coat her nails with a clear polish.

"Hey, Rantaro, how do you know how to paint nails so well? Do you do this with all the girls you, uh... date?"

"Woah there, I'm not a playboy, it's not like I can help my winning looks! I can't remember how I can paint nails so well though... maybe... I had, like, 12 sisters in the household and helped take care of their nails before.

Or, maybe I'm actually the Ultimate Nail Painting Artist! It would definitely be a pretty dangerous skill they'd need to hide from the rest of the students, right?"

"You're... pretty funny, Rantaro."

"A-ahem, um, anyways, you know, you take great care of your fingernails. I feel like I've seen a lot worse before... haha..."

"Ah! Well, as the Ultimate Pianist, it's pretty important to be taking care of my fingers at all times... Sometimes I wonder what would happen if something happened to my hands..."

(Unnoticed by Kaede, Tsumugi silently fumed in the corner. Why wasn't anyone moving to commit murder, and why the hell was **Rantaro** , of all people, joining in, for heaven's sake?)

The group parted ways around midnight, deciding that it was high time everyone (well, besides Himiko who had fallen asleep ten minutes upon arriving at the sleepover) got some shut-eye. Kaede carried her comforter and blanket back to her dorm room, and she saw the rest of the girls do the same.

Kaede locked her dorm room and quickly fell asleep, mood much improved from the morning. __I trust everyone, and everyone trusts me... Tomorrow we'll escape this place for good!__

_< ><><><><><><><><><>_

Kirumi woke up to the harsh screech of the alarm clock. _Perfect, time to start the day._ After her investigation of the school had returned zero results, Kirumi had decided to "treat herself" by getting an extra hour of sleep. After getting seven hours instead of six, the Ultimate Maid felt much more chipper and less stressed than the day before. _If I didn't enjoy my work so much, I would love to get more sleep every night._

_First off, I will start the early morning with some light yard work._ Kirumi headed into the main school building, planning to acquire large shears from the warehouse. Large bright red vines, alien in nature, were growing over the secondary entrance to the dining hall. _The veranda outside the dining hall is a perfect place to eat._

To her surprise, there was already someone else in the warehouse. Miu Iruma lay sprawled on a fold-out plastic table, fast asleep. In front of her was a screen continuously printing out lines of text. Beside her was a purple mechanical device that Kirumi willfully chose to ignore. Against Kirumi's better judgment, she automatically walked over to Miu and poked the inventor in the cheek, startling her awake. With a yelp, Miu's eyes flew open and she rolled off the plastic table onto the floor with a loud thunk.

Kirumi was the Ultimate Maid, not the Ultimate Child Caregiver. She quickly and stealthily left the warehouse with the garden shears before the curses started streaming out of Miu's mouth.

<><><><><><><><><><>

Ryoma had found out during prison that the character of a person could be somewhat accurately judged by the time they woke up. Ryoma cursed the strict prison schedule his internal clock automatically ran by: although he had headed out of the student dormitories at a comfortable 6:00, to take a walk through the school building, most of the Ultimate Students were certainly not awake by the time he left the building. 

He saw Kirumi working on something by the veranda outside- _it was connected to the dining hall, wasn't it? It would be terrible if she was planning a murder with those large shears, wouldn't it...?_

As he was watching Kirumi, a blue and green blur sped past him with a cry of "Don't come near my morning run, filthy male!"- it must have been that hyperactive martial artist woman. Ryoma was not out of shape by any means, but he was certainly far from his peak condition. _It doesn't matter. I'm not the Ultimate Tennis Pro anymore._

Ryoma was on his way to head back into the academy building to wallow in his misery some more when he saw Keebo and Gonta step out of the dormitories.

"Gonta would be happy to look for bugs with Kay One-Bee Oh! Oh, can Gonta call you Bee for short? Bees are cool, Gonta thinks. Just like you!"

Keebo replied with a flattered pink twinge to his cheeks, "That is okay with me. First, we should head to the warehouse to check if there is anything we can use there for investigation."

Ryoma weighed his dirty conscience against his unwillingness to speak to others. "Hey," he interjected, "I wouldn't recommend going into the warehouse right now. Just... trust me on this, okay? I'm not up to anything, I swear." 

Gonta shrugged, saying, "If Ryoma says so, I will believe him! Because Ryoma sounds like a real gentleman."

_That's not true, but..._ Ryoma found himself smiling a little despite his initially sour mood. "Thanks for being cool with a guy like me... Do you want me to help you look for bugs?"

"The more the merrier, as they say! I believe that the correct thing to do would be to accept!"

"Wow, Bee! You are so smart, like a real gentleman! Please, tell Gonta how you got so smart!"

And so Ryoma Hoshi did not find himself alone in his room in the morning and reflecting on his awful crimes. Instead, he spent the morning looking for bugs with the Ultimate Entomologist and Ultimate Robot. 

The sound of spring bird song filled the trees as they started walking and talking. It was the start of a new day for the Ultimate Prisoner.

<><><><><><><><><><>

The Ultimate Detective groaned. Waking up to the grating announcement made by the stupid bears was somehow infinitely worse than waking up to a call from an irate client. Shuichi rolled out of bed and automatically put on his uniform. Somehow, the uniforms were both unlike what he would normally wear and exactly like what he would normally wear at the same time. It was unnatural and offputting, but he had little choice but to put on the pinstripe suit and pants. 

As he washed up and finished up his outfit with his customary hat, the prestiged and renowned Ultimate Detective only had one thought on his mind: _I need to check out the library. Can't fail this._

Shuichi noticed immediately that the veranda that connected to the dining hall was opened (he made a mental note to thank Kirumi for her service later), with Angie and Korekiyo dining outside, deep in conversation. Angie looked up and smiled at Shuichi as he passed by, giving a cheerful wave and "good morning". 

Inside the dining hall, Tenko was talking at Himiko about some sort of sleepover while scarfing down a heavy western-style breakfast. Himiko conspiratorially whispered to Shuichi, "I cast a spell on Tenko that makes it look like I'm listening to her."

Shuichi sat down next to Rantaro and Kaede and gave them a nod and muttered, "Good morning." 

"Good morning, Shuichi! Sleep well last night?"

"Hey, how's it going?"

The school-side entrance door to the dining hall opened, and Miu Iruma, Maki Haruwaka, and Kaito Momota walked in. Miu, uncharacteristically, said not a word and walked over to Tenko, handing over some sort of bottle to her. 

Maki, annoyed, said, "You know you can talk about anything that's not **that** , idiot."

Miu huffed and plucked a bagel from Kaede's plate before pivoting on one foot and turning to leave the dining hall.

"H-hey! Give that back!" Miu turned her head and responded with a stuck-out tongue and middle finger, and walked... straight into Monokuma. 

Yelping, Miu stumbled back and cowered behind Gonta. "Take the stupid himbo, not me! I'm too beautiful to dieeeeee!!!"

_Oh no. Why is that thing here? It's left us alone until now, so..._

"Hey kids! Having fun in here? I've noticed that it's a lot cleaner in this room than before, no thanks to my useless children!" Monokuma cackled, and... speak of the devil, the Monokubs appeared in the dining hall as well.

"Where's the blood and guts, huh? If ya don't want to kill a person, why don't you off the robot? It'll also count as a death, minus the yucky ethics of murder, pinky swear! That's why I bully Monodam!" Monokid demonstrated his point by slamming the body of his electric guitar across Monodam's face.

"..."

"Eek! How gory! If you guys do kill someone... please don't kill a girl first! In horror movies and stuff, the stupid girl always goes first! That's so sexist! Please work to break sexist stereotypes in this Killing Game, okay?!"

" **SHUT UP, WOMAN!** " Monotaro, Monosuke, and Monokid shouted at the same time.

"..."

"Annyyways, so I was thinking to myself, how can I get this game started? I've already tried all the fun and exciting first motives, so I was thinking... maybe I should do a classic!

Alright! First kid to kill someone gets to leave this place scot-free, no drawbacks!" Monokuma and his Kubs left the room as suddenly as they came.

Before the students could panic, Kaede clambered onto the metal dining table and placed her hands on her hips. "GUYS! DON'T LISTEN TO HIM! I already have a plan to expose the mastermind and then we can definitely leave this place, so just wait another couple of days and I'll get us out of here for sure!" _Her confidence in my abilities may be misplaced, but..._

"Please get off the dining table, Kaede." Kirumi helped Kaede down.

"R-right, sorry... guess I just got caught up in the moment, huh?" With a blush, Kaede started to move to clean the dining table before Kirumi blocked her.

"Why don't you go and prepare your plan to catch the mastermind?"

"Yeah! Okay, Shuichi, let's go!" Kaede looped her arm around Shuichi's arm and dragged him out of the room. _A-ah, but I didn't get to finish breakfast yet..._

Their plan to catch the mastermind would work for sure. Shuichi hadn't been confident about a lot of things over his short detective career, but he had a gut instinct that the plan with the motion-detected cameras to catch the mastermind would be successful. _Kaede encouraging me every step of the way definitely helped a lot, too._

<><><><><><><><><><>

K1-B0 was wandering the school after lunch. Although, because he was a robot, he did not- and most of the time, could not- eat human foods, he still enjoyed the company of the other students and their conversations. After Kaede's speech during breakfast and confirmation during lunch that "A plan to take down the mastermind is being worked on as we speak!", most of the students were in a good mood. While walking around, K1-B0 happened upon a casual conversation between Korekiyo and Angie. 

"Why does your god require blood offerings? I am interested in knowing the origins of the practice, if you don't mind explaining," Korekiyo was saying. _Ah! That reminds me!_ K1-B0 steeled his artificial nerves and approached the two. 

"Hello, Korekiyo. Hello, Angie. What are you two discussing?"

"Hi, hi, hi! We're talking about gods~! I was just telling Kiyo, all the gods he's been learning about are actually Atua!! Nyahaha, isn't he so divine?"

"While I disagree, I am more interested in learning about the history of Atua and your island culture... Ah, but I digress. Hello, Keebo. Do you require our services?"

"Actually, I just wanted to ask a question. I was wondering... what is a god? I have the definition in my memory bank, but I want to hear the answer from a human."

Korekiyo started lecturing before Angie could. "Some humans believe in a higher power. They believe that somewhere in the world, there is a higher being that will know right from wrong- and they can trust this being to make the right decision no matter what. 

This infallible being that humans can place their trust in no matter what... I think, that is a God. Whether you believe in a being like this is your choice, Keebo."

_That voice in my head... is it the voice of God? Can I trust it?"_

"A-hahah! My god is Atua, Keebo! Do you wanna hear more? Do you? Do you!?" Angie took a paintbrush out of her utility belt and waved it around in excitement, making Keebo flinch. Paint was still on the brush tip, and it splattered all over Kiyo's hat and mask and Keebo's face. 

With a frown, Kiyo took off his mask and delicately dabbed at the stain. "If you'll excuse me, Angie... It has truly been a pleasure, and I would love to discuss this matter with you later, but for now..."

K1-B0 also backed away slowly, simply pointing at his face. _Oh dear, how will I get this off me? I may need... help._

**POLL: Who should [AUDIENCE INSERT] ask for help?**  
\- Ask [LOVE INTEREST] for help | 42.1%  
\- Ask [PROTAGONIST] for help | 19.5%  
\- Do not ask for help | 3.8%  
\- Ask [OTHER] for help | 34.6%  
**Result: Ask Miu Iruma, Ultimate Inventor, for help**

Although K1-B0 didn't quite feel like going to ask Miu in particular after their ....interesting.... first meeting, he decided to trust the words of his inner voice. It was only a small problem, after all. 

**Nothing major would happen because of this trip... Right?**

_Maybe... even a robot can believe in a god, just like a human can. Yeah! Now... where could she be?_

K1-B0 poked his head inside the warehouse. Empty. He tried knocking on her assigned dorm room in the dormitories. Also empty. Parsing through his recent memories, he finally recalled that Miu's Ultimate lab was open. K1-B0 made a beeline for the building.

Leg propping open the door, K1-B0 stood at the entrance of the lab, uncertain and ready to run at the first sign of danger. The interior of the lab was dark, and questionable screeching, hissing, and high-pitched whines came from inside. "H-hey, Miu? Are you in there?"

The noises stopped, and the lights came on all at once. Miu shouted from somewhere inside, "COME IN, KAEDIOT!!! YOU WANNA SEE MY GOODS ALREADY?"

K1-B0 approached her, saying, "A-ah, I'm K1-B0, not Kaede..."

"W-well, shit! Not my fault your twink voice sounds sort of like her!!" Miu turned around. Her signature goggles were pulled down over her head, making her look like... an alien, googly-eyed succubus.

"Anyways... what are you working on?"

"H-huuh? Nothing! Nothing at all! Definitely nothing a dumbass plebian like you could help with!!!! 

It's not like I've spent, like, two hours trying to figure out how to get this fucking old disposable camera thing to wind the reel faster!!! Even if I do everything I can, the fastest it's gonna wind up in is gonna be thirty seconds!!! Fuck, fuck, fu-"

"Why don't you just add in something to compensate for that camera's 'blind spot'?"

"-ck, I can't believe I've failed my duty as an inventor already! ...Huh? What'd ya say, C-3PO?"

"Well, from my experience as a high school student, I have used more than my sight to help me detect my surroundings." K1-B0 thought that Miu was very smart, but also very, very dumb. He tried to phrase his suggestion as nicely as possible.

"A-ah! Eureka! Of course! ...Why didn't I think of that? Shit! If anyone asks, pretend it's my genius idea, alright!??

Um... so... why are you here, dickless? ...Want me to give you a dick?"

"I just... can you help me wash the paint off my face? Some got in my hair as well. I would do it, but ah... my fine-motor skills are rather poor, and I am not fully water-proof."

(Miu was struggling between making the robot beg for the favor and simply helping him out for his helpful hint.)

"Fine!! I'll give you some of my precious time!!! You know, hundreds of people would pay money to have this kind of alone time with me, so enjoy it while you can!!!!"

"As long as you promise not to press my shut-down button again."

"H-hee! I s-said I was sorry, didn't I?? You're not still mad... are you!??"

<><><><><><><><><><>

A generic businessman in a suit stood in front of his specially-made ergonomic standing desk. In front of him lay no less than five monitors, each displaying a different, terrible screen. 

Leering headlines read: "Is V3 Team Danganronpa's Last Season?" "'Boring' Killing Game Attracts Fewest Viewers in Killing Game History!" "Shirogane's Blunder: Why V3 is the Worst One Yet."

Audience reviews were full of contempt and ridicule for the season- the plot was too slow, the talents boring (there was even a fucking detective again, for god's sake!), the characters were too stale and too unrelatable... The list of complaints went on. 

With a snap of his fingers, the businessman wordlessly commanded a hapless and frazzled intern to compose a directive to Tsumugi Shirogane, Mastermind of the 53rd Team Danganronpa Killing Game. **Make the game interesting and get a murder to happen soon, or else.**

Screw that maniac's creative vision or whatever the fuck was going on in her head. The game needed views, and the views needed to come soon. The series was too large of a money-maker to flop now!

<><><><><><><><><><>

Tsumugi was very nearly going to tear out her wig. _What the fuck did they say???_ Making sure her "student" dorm room was locked, Tsumugi took out her Monopad and keyed in the special 10-digit randomized admin passcode. She fumed as she read through the selected audience reviews she had been sent.

"this szn sucks cuz shittygane put herself in as a self-insert again lmao"

"No one likes a fucking rabid fangirl, jeez. I want that other director back."

"i've read fanfiction better than this! fanfiction!"

"$20 this one has incest and a serial killer in it as well lmao. Shit gets old."

No one appreciated her vision! She got to be the director for a reason, so the haters should just shut up. They weren't the ones masterminding her Ultimate Real Fiction, so they had absolutely no right to criticize her! Shit!

_But... what can I do to speed things up?? I'm no good at sudden plot twists... Oh! What about a gimmick like from the second season? Aha, I'm a genius!_

Tsumugi Shirogane, Mastermind of the 53rd Killing Game, sighed and smiled. Her plan to speed up the game was perfect and flawless. They say that you can't rush perfection, but that wasn't true. After all, everything Tsumugi did was very nearly perfect.

<><><><><><><><><><>

Shuichi was once again woken up by the alarm set by the Monokubs. From what he caught in his bleary, dream-like post-wake up state, it seemed that the five Kubs were having some sort of spat with each other- an implausible amount of broken guitars were scattered on Monodam and Monophanie's side of the sofa, and broken beer bottles lay broken, stains forming on the garish carpet. 

_Is this an allegory for domestic abuse or bullying? The Monokub's daily announcements would be interesting... if Monokuma wasn't the one responsible for it._ Yawning, he took his time getting ready and walking over to the dining hall for the now-customary group breakfast.

Shuichi noticed that no one was eating outside that day, despite the clear weather out. Angry gray clouds were starting to form in the sky, signaling that a storm was brewing. As soon as Shuichi entered the dining hall, Monotaro ran up behind him and closed the door behind him. _Uh oh._

"Finally! Mr. Slowpoke is here!" Monokuma forcefully slapped him on the back in what was perhaps supposed to be an act of camaraderie. "Don't worry, that was a joke! Because bullying is frowned upon in society, you shouldn't do it, guys! That's some life advice from your dear old headmaster, free of charge!"

Rantaro, impatient, closed his eyes and asked, "Why are you here? Upset that no one has tried taking the First Blood Perk?" He opened his eyes and crossed his arms before glaring directly at the black and white bear. _Rantaro always looks so calm and confident... how does he do it?_

Monokuma giggled a now-familiar "Upupupu..." Then, he spoke.

"To motivate you guys some more...

Pretend there are dramatic drumroll noises here, guys...

If a murder hasn't happened by 10 PM tonight, everyone who was forced to participate in this game will die!"

" **SO LONG! BEAR WELL!!!** " The terrible bear and his children scrambled out of the dining hall.

Rantaro managed to squeeze out, "That's...not ideal..." before Monokuma's statement started to sink in to the rest of the students.

"Himiko! Stay with Tenko, and she will protect your cute little face from all the degenerate males!!!"

"Gonta a gentleman! Gentleman will never kill a lady, please trust Gonta!"

"Nyeeh?? How am I supposed to trust that you or Tenko won't murder me? ...This is all such a bother. If only I had enough MP to escape..."

"Nee hee-hee, this is pretty interesting, wouldn't you say, Keeboy?"

"H-hey, cow udders, the shit you wanted is in my lab! I'm out of here!!!"

"A-ahh! I'm plainly not ready for this, I need to go and prepare for my final moments!"

"I'll kill myself so no one else has to die." The room was stunned into silence, students that were halfway out the door stopping in their tracks to look back at the speaker. 

"Ryoma, please! Don't say that, Shuichi and I already have the things we need to catch the mastermind! Right, Shuichi?"

"Heehee, don't worry Kaede! I'll keep Ryoma company while you're off by yourself being a great leader and stuff! After all, leaders need to abandon their followers sometimes... I should know!"

"W-weren't you listening? Shuichi's coming along!"

"I," Kokichi said, dragging out the word, "was just testing you! I'm sure whatever you guys come up with will save us all!" 

Kaede turned and ran out of the dining hall, leaving Shuichi no choice but to follow her. "H-hey, Kaede! Wait up!" _There goes my breakfast..._

Although Kaede seemed to be acting strangely, Shuichi dismissed his scattered thoughts. _She's just nervous, maybe her hunched back is from anxiety cramps, maybe her inner neat-freak comes out under stress, maybe the duct tape is because she really, really wants the set-up to work..._

Later on, Shuichi thought that he had always known what Kaede was attempting to do. He just didn't want to accept it.

<><><><><><><><><><>

After lunch, which no one attended, and dinner, which no one attended either, Kirumi had had enough. She went from door to door in the student dormitories to check up on the students. Knock after knock returned no response. Rantaro Amami was the first person to respond to Kirumi's knock.

"Hello, Rantaro. I know that at least one student among us can pick locks. Would you like to gather in the dining hall for safety with me instead? We shall attempt to defend ourselves from harm there. Of course, you are free to leave at any time or decline my offer."

"Sorry, but Kaito actually invited me and a couple others to go and... do something about the situation. Um, but while you're here... Can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course. You are always welcome to confide in me."

"Along with my memories being screwed up, I also think... There's something else different about me. When I first went into my dorm room, I found a-" Rantaro abruptly stopped, eyes tracking Ryoma and Kokichi as they walked past them. "N-nevermind. I'll tell you after... all this."

"There is not going to be another time, Rantaro. Monokuma is going to kill us all in two and a half hours."

"..." Rantaro closed his room door without another word. 

Korekiyo was the next person to open his door. "Hello, Korekiyo. I know that at least one student among us can pick locks. Would you like to gather in the dining hall for safety with me instead? We shall-"

Korekiyo nodded before she could finish. "That sounds like a satisfactory arrangement. Let us go and gather the others. Oh, and forgive me for interrupting. I am rather nervous."

"You have my thanks. As you know, I am always looking out for everyone's safety first and foremost." The two managed to gather Miu Iruma and Tsumugi Shirogane and walked over to the dining hall. Suspicious eyes flitted around each other, taking stock of body language and facial expressions. No one said a word. Kirumi was constantly vigilant, not missing a single movement made by her classmates (or were they future murderers?).

Safely in the dining hall, Kiyo calmly locked the veranda door. Kirumi walked over to the front entrance trailed by a paranoid-looking Tsumugi and locked the second exit door as well. 

Kirumi broke the silence. "Would anyone like to eat the dinner I prepared?"

"I would prefer not, thank you." "L-like hell, you skank!" "I-I don't think I could eat anything in this state..." 

8:00. Kiyo started a conversation with Kirumi about what her past clients had been like- expectations, nationality, house type, and the like.

"Are you not concerned with dying, Korekiyo?"

"Please, call me Kiyo. It is not my place to murder someone... No, if all of us were murdered by Monokuma today, it would be beautiful... I would die knowing the beauty of mankind."

8:10. Tsumugi squirmed in her seat. "Y-you know, someone as plain as me could never kill someone... I wish I had gotten to see the fourth game of that franchise I liked, though... 

I wish I had done a lot of things, actually." No one responded; some things are better left unsaid.

8:20. Miu abruptly stood up and took a Swiss Army Knife out from somewhere underneath her uniform. She walked over to the kitchen area and climbed onto the gas stove, poking around underneath the stove's hood vent. Interested, Kiyo went over to watch. Wary, Kirumi followed him. Tsumugi had little choice but to join them.

8:30. Miu had started cannibalizing Shuichi and Ryoma's beloved coffee machine. 

8:40. The group was back at the large dining room table. Miu was fiddling with the parts she had collected. Feeling the group's eyes on her, Miu squirmed. "I-if I don't do something, I think I'm gonna actually kill someone!"

"You can always kill me. Or I can kill myself. After all, I am here to serve you guys... And that cannot happen if everyone is dead."

"Don't even think about it, whore! How the fuck can you just... throw away your life like that? I-if anything... I..."

8:50. Tsumugi took out a sewing kit. "K-Kirumi, can I embroider your apron? I think... I need something to do, as well..." Miu's machine was coming together nicely.

9:00. A loud, annoying, and headache-inducing video started blaring from the mismatched loudspeakers hanging from the monitor. Tsumugi took Kirumi's apron, now with a spider web asymmetrically embroidered on its side, and hung it across the monitor. It blocked the screen and muffled the sound coming from it.

"S-Sorry, guys, I really have to go to the bathroom now..." Tsumugi unlocked the door and nervously darted out of the dining hall.

9:10. Miu's machine was finished. Tsumugi returned from the bathroom, anxiously smoothing down her skirts and breathing heavily.

9:17 PM. 43 minutes before the group execution. Monosuke popped out of a vent and appeared in the dining hall, wordlessly taking Kirumi's apron off the monitors. 

The Killing Game Promotional Video flickered out in a burst of static. Monokuma appeared on the screen.

"O-ho, finally! A body has been discovered! All surviving students, head to the library. After a set amount of time, the class trial will begin! Have fun investigating, everyone!~"

Monosuke cackled and lit a cigarette with his stubby hands. "Wowzers, it took ya bastards a long time to start the killing!" Then, he snapped his fingers. With a click, the dining hall door unlocked, and he ambled out.

Kirumi looked at the three other students. As if by unspoken agreement, they sprinted out of the dining hall at the same time.

_I should have tried harder to keep everyone together. ...I hope Rantaro is safe. What was he going to tell me?_

<><><><><><><><><><>

Kokichi Ouma kept his promise to Kaede, not even being obvious about trailing behind Ryoma throughout the day. He tailed the Ultimate with no mercy, even going so far as following him into the bathroom. _He better not try anything, because I think... someone is plotting a murder as we speak. A liar like me has a way of spotting other liars._

(Of course, Kokichi had no way of knowing that Kaede was rearranging the books on the bookcase as he followed Ryoma around. He just had an inkling that a suspicious event was happening, was all.)

Ryoma did not acknowledge Kokichi's presence throughout the entire day, only looking at him directly when he pointedly entered his dorm room. The door clicked shut. Locked. Kokichi rolled his eyes and took a stolen hairpin out of his pocket. _If Kaede really goes through with what I think she's planning, she's not going to need it after today._

"...How did you get in here." Ryoma was sitting on the bed, cross-legged and staring at his Monopad. The clock widget was displayed, seconds marching forward on the screen.

Kokichi walked over to the foot of the bed, bending over to look at the Monopad upside-down. He quickly powered off the Monopad, ignoring Ryoma's first question.

"Are you here to kill me?" Ryoma took a box of candy cigarettes out of his leather jacket and stuck one in his mouth.

"Nope! Not at all! I'm just keeping my promise to Kaede, nee-heehee!" Kokichi's easy-going facade did not falter, and he grabbed a candy cigarette for himself. Grape flavored. Yuck. Kokichi spit the cigarette out and tossed it into the trash. The only good product that came in grape favor was his signature Panta!

"You know, it would make the most sense for me to kill myself right now. That way, everyone else could be saved."

"Don't be silly! I'm sure that someone's gonna kill someone before the time is up. Have you seen how murdery "Miss Nanny" looks? And don't get me started on the creepy mask guy or the religious nutjob..." Kokichi laughed.

"What about you, though? Do you really want to die?"

"Nope! But I don't wanna play this Killing Game either! Let me tell you a secret about me before the stuff hits the fan, Ryoma... 

A game that someone forces you to play is no fun at all!"

The two waited on in silence. When Ryoma was distracted by the loud Killing Game Promotional Video, Kokichi stole another candy cigarette. _Actually, these are kind of really good!_

Then, the loud video stopped. Monokuma flipped onscreen. He was drinking wine and eating caviar. "O-ho, finally! A body has been discovered! All surviving students, head to the library. After a set amount of time, the class trial will begin! Have fun investigating, everyone!~"

"Fuck. That's not cool at all."

"...Remember our alibis for the murder, Ryoma." The two left Ryoma's dorm room in silence.

"Hey, robot! I know you don't really know how to interact with people, but at least wait for us so we can walk together!" Keebo was pale in the face and wobbly on his legs when they met up with him. He was muttering to himself and didn't respond to Kokichi's meanspirited jab.

"A-a murder? No... it can't be...!"

<><><><><><><><><><>

Kaito walked around through the school almost randomly, starting conversations with any and all students who would talk to him.

"How are you doing, Maki? Feeling better?"

"No, I don't really want to spend my final moments giving blood to Atua. Sorry!"

"Hey, wake up! What would happen if someone tried to murder you?"

"Oh! I would love to look for bugs with you... but... uh... but my eyesight is kinda bad. Yeah, that's it!"

"Hey, we should all try to take down Monokuma later on when he comes to kill us. You in?"

In the end, Kaito extracted promises of attending the "Defeat the Mastermind Event" from Angie, Himiko, Maki, Rantaro, and Gonta. At 8:42, the group would convene in the game room to discuss strategy.

"How come you set such a weird time? That's so inconvenient to remember..."

"That's just my lucky number!"

"Listen up! Tenko will not allow a degenerate male to be alone with little Himiko! So she is coming along too!"

"Gonta's gonna be there too, Tenko... That's two guys, I think..."

"Gonta doesn't count!!! For a degenerate male, he's fine! Also, Tenko thinks he's too nice to try and kill someone!" 

The meeting nearly went to shit immediately. Gonta wasn't able to understand the detailed, many-layered plan Kaito had created and locked himself in the A/V room. Blubbering words like "ungentlemanlike" and "too stupid" could be heard through the door. Maki lurked in the corner and didn't say a word, leaning against the wall and crossing her arms. On the other hand, Angie said too much, derailing every sentence with unhelpful words of encouragement and interjections about her god.

When the Killing Game Promotional Video started playing, Kaito finally accepted that the meeting was a bust. _That's okay... at least we'll be able to die together instead of committing murder! Although I'll never be able to see the stars, it's better than..._

Rantaro excused himself and left to "go to the bathroom" before anyone could stop him. Kaito followed, not suspicious of Rantaro, but worried for him. Tenko tagged along, declaring that she needed to be on the watch for "Whatever degenerate crimes you're about to commit!"

Kaito fumed. "You can't just judge every guy you meet like that! You know, I'm pretty fed up with -" The two nearly ran into Kaede and Shuichi on their way up the stairs. 

Shuichi panted, "L-library, now!" before shoving past them and wrenching open the door handle. He skid to a sudden stop and let the other three students catch up to him. 

"W-what is it? What are you looking at, Shuichi?"

_Don't tell me..._

The Killing Game Promotional Video stopped suddenly. Monokuma appeared in its place. "O-ho, finally! A body has been discovered! All surviving students, head to the library. After a set amount of time, the class trial will begin! Have fun investigating, everyone!~"

Kaito saw red. He picked up a hardcover book lying on the ground next to him and hurled it at the monitor at full force. It bounced off harmlessly, before landing next to Rantaro Amami's dead body with a thunk. 

<><><><><><><><><><>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, we will head into [Deadly Life]. This will include the investigation and trial, but rest assured: You guys won't have to read through the same trial twice! Oh, hey, we'll also hit the canon divergence as advertised in the description. I mean, I think you guys can figure out what's gonna happen after this chapter, right? Stay safe and stay sane, everyone.


	4. The Moment You've All Been Waiting For... [1.B.1]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The students investigate Rantaro's murder. The trial starts- and finishes. Tsumugi's situation isn't looking too hot, huh?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, lovely readers. Here's the newest installment of Danganronpa: B-Side. Let me tell you guys something you may have heard before: when a butterfly flaps its wings, a tempest brews hundreds of miles away.

  
**This chapter is under construction because I kind of hate it. If you check it out later, um... it might be better? Or just go ahead and read it, but keep in mind this isn't my best stuff.**

"Not at all. My belief in you...is gonna lead me to the truth! I'll show you what's behind all this! I'll show you your truth!"  
\- Shuichi Saihara

<><><><><><><><><><>

Miu Iruma was not panic-stricken by the sight of Rantaro's body. Miu Iruma was not scared at all. No, as a matter of fact, the only reason she ~~stumbled out of the library holding back tears and vomit~~ confidently strode out of the crime scene was because she wanted to finish building her RC drone. Miu fiddled around with the control panel of what used to be a coffee machine, trying to integrate the system with a disposable camera. After a few complex twists and pokes with her Swiss Army Knife, a beeping sound was heard.

"Viola! The beautiful, amazing, incredible Flying Miuchine will now have its maiden flight!" she shouted. Grinning, she swaggered out of the Ultimate Inventor's Lab.

But Miu's confidence in the machine evaporated (for some reason!) as soon as she entered the library again. When the drone managed to take flight and snap aerial photos of the crime scene, she certainly did not nearly jump for joy and squeal in excitement. Some students shot her puzzled looks as she sprinted out of the library as quickly as she had reentered. K1-B0 looked like he was going to say something, but didn't. No one verbally asked Miu if she was avoiding looking at Rantaro's body on purpose. _I shouldn't be so fuckin' scared of the body! Cuz... I know I'm not gonna die like that sucker!_

"Hey! Pink whore Kub! Where the fuck are you??!" Miu tried her best not to look surprised when Monophanie jumped out of the empty cardboard box right in front of her.

"Beary nice to meet you! Need anything?"

"Lemme do a trade with you, 'kay? I know the photos are done by now. So gimme the camera with lots of duct tape on it, and I'll give you this camera in return!!! Develop the photos in there for me, and I won't take you apart for machine parts the next time I need a camera. Good deal from a goddess like me, right!?? Good! Do it!!!!" Miu finished her spiel. She grabbed the camera sitting on the fold-out table and ran out of the warehouse before Monophanie could refuse.

Miu locked the door to the Ultimate Inventor's Lab as soon as she got inside. After checking that the minuscule microphone on the camera was still intact, Miu smashed the camera's flimsy back panel open, not even bothering with the screwdriver. She grabbed the small memory card stuffed inside and stuffed it inside the SD card reader that the Monopad oh-so-conveniently contained. Then, she listened.

"Oh, fuck me."

Monophanie jumped out of the wastepaper basket, wadded up balls of paper spilling out in her wake. She passed Miu a manilla clasp envelope. "Here you go! Thanks for being a smart woman in STEM, by the way! You're really helping us women out, you know!" Miu whirled around and flipped her Swiss Army Knife from the screwdriver tool to the serrated knife tool and waved it in the bear's face.

"There's about to be one less woman in the world, BITCH!"

"So long! Bear well!" Monophanie took the hint and dove back into the wastepaper basket and disappeared. _Fucking stupid bear should stay in the trash where she belongs._

Miu opened up the folder and looked at the photos inside. Then she replayed the audio recording on her Monopad. Then she looked at the photos again.

" **Oh, fuck me.** "

_How the hell did all of this happen?_

The ever-present monitor in the lab turned on. Monokuma appeared, drinking what looked to be red wine this time. "This concludes our investigation period, kids! Ready or not, it's trial time~! Please meet at the Shrine of Judgement in the courtyard outside!"

_Shit. Shit, shit shit._

What the hell was this situation? Someone was trying to kill her and everyone else. To save everyone, she had to find Rantaro's killer, and then... send them to their death.

<><><><><><><><><><>

 **Truth Bullets**  
Miu Iruma || Audio Recording >>  
The recording opens with the loud and all-too-familiar Killing Game Promotional Video. A ball drops to the ground with a large thud. Someone emits a short "Huh?" sound. A couple of seconds pass. A grunt accompanied by a crunching noise is heard. Then: a heavier and more wet second thud collides with the floor. Rapid breathing. Footsteps fade away.

Ryoma Hoshi || Ryoma's Account >>  
During the Body Discovery Announcement, Ryoma and Kokichi were together in the dorm rooms. They did not see K1-B0 until after the BDA sounded.

<><><><><><><><><><>

Kaede wasn't dissociating from the trial, per se. She was simply concentrating on the pool of sludge building up in her gut and threatening to spill out at any moment. It was an unfamiliar creeping dread... The feeling of imminent death.

Still, though, Kaede smiled. "Please, Shuichi... face the truth. The facts all add up, so why are you running away from them? Please, tell us: **how did I kill Rantaro?** "

_In the end, I wasn't able to save everyone. But if we're all at least one step closer to catching the Mastermind, then..._

Shuichi pushed his hat farther down his head. After what seemed to be a deep internal struggle, he forced out his words and said, "From the photos of the room layout and the way the books were laid out... from the duct tape on the camera... from the photos of the crime scene...

Kaede, you're the only one who could've killed Rantaro."

_There it is. That's our truth. My decision to murder someone... it'll all be revealed now._

Shuichi's truth enveloped the courtroom like a dense fog.

"Hey! Hoes! Wait! You're all completely wrong about-"

"WhhhAAAT??? No way! Explain yourself, degenerate male!!! Why would you lie to us like that??? Kaede would never...!" Tenko understood Shuichi's truth, but refused to accept it.

"I see... A complex Rube Goldberg type setup."

"This thick desperation... The circumstances that drove our dear leader Kaede to murder...This Killing Game is truly foul, to have corrupted Kaede's beauty."

Shuichi wasn't trying to hide his tears now. They flowed down his face hot and fast. "You... Kaede. You killed Rantaro to try and save us all, didn't you...? Because... You thought your trap would kill the mastermind."

"Stupid fucks! LISTEN TO ME!!! I found-"

"Thanks for killing Rantaro, Kaede! 'Cause Ryoma was pretty dang close to doing the murder for you! That's our fearless leader for ya guys~!"

" **HEY! Listen up, shitheads!** " Miu roared before slamming her palms down on the podium.

"There's no way Kaede killed Rantaro! Cuz... Her stupid fuckin' trap missed! Shuichi's just tryna cover up his murder!!!" Miu pulled out her Monopad and turned the volume up so that even Monokuma and its Kubs could hear what came next.

Miu Iruma || Audio Recording >>  
Miu gleefully pointed out the thunk of the shotput ball followed by Rantaro's "Huh?"

"Ha! See??! There's no way Kaede's ball killed him! Listen to that heavy breathing, too! Stupid fuckin' Pooichi!!! Only a twink like you would've breathed so hard after lifting a small ball like that! So.. It had'ta 've been you!"

_Huh? But all the evidence... There's no way Shuichi killed him! I can't believe that...!_

Kaede finally spoke up. "How did you even get that audio recording, Miu?"

"H-huh?? Why are you questioning me?!! I'm the one who's gonna save yer sorry ass! ...Keebs was the one who suggested adding the audio recorder to make up for the camera intervals."

"Soooo... You're saying the robot knew about the camera intervals? Stupid whore, why didn't you say that sooner? Cuz Keeboy's a suspect now~! And he doesn't have an alibi!"

"W-what? Me!? But you saw me right after the Body Discovery Announcement was heard! I couldn't have ran all the way from the library to the dorm that quickly! P-plus, I'm too weak to lift the shotput ball up like that! I only have the strength of an average elderly woman!"

"Wait, K1-B0. But that is only what you have been telling us. You could very easily lie." Shuichi seemed... exhausted. _I want this all to be over too, but... this could lead to the discovery of the Mastermind! We're so close...!_

"I would never! Are you... accusing me just because I'm a robot? That's robophobic!"

"Keebo... You are one of the only students without an alibi during the murder. But... there are also three others who could have done it."

(Maki felt obligated to contribute to the discussion, at least a little, to avoid seeming guilty.)

"Maki, don't forget-- The audio clip had heavy breathing in it. That rules out Gonta, because we figured out that he was definitely inside the A/V Room the entire time."

"Nyeeh... Can someone tell me what's going on? I don't really get it..."

Kaede looked at the evidence on her Monopad. "Maki is saying... Ryoma, K1-B0, Gonta, and Kokichi also did not have alibis at the time of the murder."

"Wait, please let me remind you. Tsumugi left the dining hall for a period of time sometime after 9:00 to 'go to the bathroom', so she is also a suspect." Kirumi interjected.

"R-right, I had forgotten about that!"

"W-what?? But... I thought we already said I was innocent! I plainly had no way of killing someone!"

"We aren't accusing you, Tsumugi. Let's look at the other alibis first."

Ryoma Hoshi || Ryoma's Account >>  
Ryoma said, "Kokichi and I were both together all day. There is no way either of us is the murderer."

Kokichi cut in. "Unless we were working together in the murder... nee-hee hee!"

"S-so... Tsumugi and I are the only ones left? I'm telling you... I definitely didn't do it!"

"Alright! I told you guys at the start it was Shittygane! She's definitely the mastermind!!! How does it feel to be beaten by the gorgeous girl genius, virgins!???"

"Wait! How can you be so sure?!"

"As the Ultimate Robot, I'm not quite human. I cannot eat, I cannot sleep, I cannot cry... And... I cannot breathe!" Kaito waved his hand over Keebo's nose and nodded, confirming his statement.

"Woo! I knew that after "inspecting" him that first day! Suck it, limpdicks!"

"Atua just woke up and told me something. He says that Tsumugi is the culprit as well!" Angie's face darkened and a frown contorted her face. She turned to her left and leaned over, staring directly at Tsumugi. "So why'd you make this killing game, Tsumugi? Tell us! Tell us!"

"B-but I was in the bathroom! There's no way I could've killed Rantaro! Y-you've got it all wrong, Kaede, tell them to check the alibis again!"

"What? Why me? Besides... None of us have any way of knowing that you were in the bathroom, right?" Kaede's head spun, and she placed her hands on the podium for balance. _This is all moving too fast... I thought I would die here, but..._

"What? What??? Why would a girl kill someone!???"

"I'm telling you, stop being so sexist! I don't want to believe it, but Tsumugi's definitely the mastermind! She could've had access to stuff that the regular students didn't!"

"Are you suggesting... the use of a secret passageway in the school? How intriguing..."

"That's right... We don't know all the nooks and crannies of the school yet. There could be paths and routes we don't know about."

"You mean, like inside the room behind the moving bookcase? That would explain why it closed right as we ran in... the Mastermind probably had just made their escape..!"

"Gonta doesn't get it... How...?"

"Nyeeh... So... Tsumugi is the one responsible for all this?"

"You've plainly got all the facts wrong! This isn't how it's supposed to go...! Kaede's supposed to... supposed to..."

Shuichi adjusted his cap. "I'll lay it all out to you guys, and prove who killed Rantaro Amami... and is responsible for the Killing Game!

The beginning of the murder went how I suspected at first. Kaede was the one who set the trap with the books on the bookshelves in the library, planning to kill the Mastermind... Because I deduced that the Mastermind needed to go through the library to access the secret room. But my detective skills were wrong, and Rantaro was the one who was caught in the trap instead...

But Kaede's shotput ball missed Rantaro entirely. Someone entered the library right afterwards and killed Rantaro during the half minute interval it took for the camera film roll to reload. Then, they left the library, somehow unnoticed, perhaps through the use of a secret passageway.

K1-B0 and Gonta couldn't have killed Rantaro because of the heavy breaths heard on the audio clip after Rantaro's body hit the ground. Ryoma and Kokichi were together throughout the murder.

So the only person without an alibi... and the only other person that could have known about the camera intervals and used a secret passageway inside the room behind the moving bookcase to escape...

Is the Mastermind of the Killing Game! That's you, Tsumugi Shirogane... You're the one responsible for the murder of Rantaro Amami!"

_So... That's the real truth, then. I didn't murder Rantaro, and if that audio recording hadn't been revealed... Everyone would have died._

_But instead... we'll send the Mastermind of the Killing Game to her death, and the Game might end. No, the Killing Game will definitely end now!_

_I wasn't able to save Rantaro, but the 14 of us... Can all leave this place, together. As... friends._

<><><><><><><><><><>

_Without my inner voice... I would never have visited Miu and suggested adding the audio recorder. We would never have found the evidence that let us find the culprit, and we would all have..._

K1-B0- Keebo- was terrified. Terrified at the outcome that could have occurred had the students chosen wrong, and terrified at the fact that he was happy that Tsumugi would die instead of all of the other students. _This Killing Game... It's completely despairing!_

Keebo pushed the voting button, condemning Tsumugi to her death. A large screen dropped down, showing the total votes made by the students: 14 for Tsumugi, 1 for Kaede. A spinning prize wheel was brought forward by the Monokubs, and after a couple of revolutions, it landed on Tsumugi's pixelated sprite. Monocoins poured out of the machine, covering the floor in shiny bronze.

_I just had a hand in someone's murder. I could have chosen not to vote... But I chose my life over someone else's. Shouldn't I feel more guilty? Now... all of us are the murderers._

"W-wait! You can't do this to me, guys...! You **need** me! Everything's gonna fall apart without my... "

Monokuma pulled out a judge's gavel, a sadistic smile adorning its face. "I can, and I will! You got caught breaking the rules, and like all criminals... You gotta face the punishment! How else can I keep our little society running? Upupupu..."

Keebo watched as a metal claw smashed through the trial dome and wrapped around Tsumugi's neck, pulling her up, up, and away. No one else made a move. _Are they just as terrified as me?_

"T-this means... We won, right? The Killing Game is over!? We can... leave, right?" Before anyone could respond, the large screen changed from a display of the votes to a black screen with blue words printed out. Below the words, a pixelated Monokuma dragged along a pixelated Tsumugi. Tsumugi's sprite was kicking and screaming.

" **Tsumugi has been found guilty. Time for the punishment**!

The screen faded out, replaced by a wide-angle shot of a prize wheel. Tsumugi was strapped in a chair in front of the wheel, sweating profusely. The sign on the prize wheel read "Devoted Fangirl's Last Punishment!" One of the Monokubs spun the wheel, and it landed on the "After-School Lesson".

The floor opened up below Tsumugi, and she fell down, mouth open in a scream. The Monokubs jumped down through the floor after her.

The video screen now displayed a long hallway with a high vaulted ceiling and beige plaster walls. The floor of the hallway was replaced by a moving conveyer belt. The conveyer belt moved slowly towards a pneumatic crusher machine- a thick metal block dropped down with a loud thunk before slowly rising up again. Bright light flooded out of the end of the hallway, disappearing whenever the crusher slammed down onto the conveyer belt.

Tsumugi's legs were cuffed to a school desk facing away from the crusher. She was forced to look directly at a raised platform containing the five Monokubs and a green chalkboard. As the Monokubs wrote and drew on the chalkboard, the platform and desk inched towards the heavy thunking of the pneumatic crusher.

The conveyer belt sped up. When the crusher block was about ten feet away, Tsumugi stood up and bent forward as much as possible. She grabbed the closest Monokub- Monophanie- with both hands and tossed the bear backward. Monophanie's limbs flailed in midair and her body landed straight onto the path of the crusher. With a thunk, the metal block crumpled Monophanie. Her body folded in on itself as easily as a piece of paper. The crusher paused and beeped, making the conveyer belt pause. Mechanical parts sprayed everywhere on the floor like a pinata. Then, the crusher block rose again.

Tsumugi screamed something, but no sound came out of the video screen.

The conveyer belt resumed moving, bringing Tsumugi closer and closer. The block dropped.

Then, it stopped right over Tsumugi's tear-stained face.

The conveyer belt continued moving, bringing Tsumugi and four Monokubs to the exit.

The video screen shut off, once again replaced by a black screen and blue words.

" **Ultimate Cosplayer  
Tsumugi Shirogane's Execution: Failed**"

The elevator doors dinged. Tsumugi and the four Monokubs stepped out. A fine layer of sweat had settled on Tsumugi's face.

Kaito, ever fearless, asked aloud, "Hey... what just happened!? I thought... Tsumugi was gonna die?"

Monokuma jumped down from its podium and faced Tsumugi and the students. He clapped his hands once, drawing everyone's attention. "Tsumugi claimed the First Blood Perk! Normally, I wouldn't accept it, but... Well, it would make the Killing Game so much more fun!

'Cause...you know, Tsumugi, you killed one of my darling Kubs! I'm so heartbroken, I think I'll just have to let you stay in the Academy! Having a Failed Mastermind among you guys... upupupu!"

"The Killing Game is going to continue!?" The Ultimates went into an uproar.

"Haven't you guys read the rules?" Kokichi spoke for Monokuma. "It saiiiddd... The Killing Game is gonna continue until two or fewer students remain!"

"Kokichi is right! Yessir, the Killing Game's not gonna end just 'cause you caught the silly Mastermind! I mean, how boring would it be if it was like that?!"

_But... I don't want to do this anymore. If Tsumugi's still alive and among us... That means she's going to be able to continue making us miserable..!_

The students were shocked into silence.

"L-like hell we're gonna let that happen...!" Kaito shook himself out of his stupor and stood threateningly over Monokuma. The bear raised its hands.

"Cuz I'm such a great guy, I'll just give you a reminder on the rules! Violence against the headmaster is prohibited! That's me!" Maki grabbed Kaito and pulled him away before he could punch the bear.

Maki muttered, "Someone besides me should be the one stopping that idiot from doing something stupid."

Kokichi cleared his throat before Kaito could take the bait. "So, we need to do something about Tsumugi. Any ideas?" He tapped his finger against his chin in mock thought. "Oh! I know! I just remembered. Hey Gonta, Tsumugi told me today that she loved stepping on bugs, and also that she is a dumb bitch and smells like week-old trash!"

"What???!!! THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE!" Gonta crossed his arms and leveled a terrifying glare at Tsumugi. The entomologist towered over the Mastermind with a leer that would strike horror into the hearts of veteran soldiers.

Kaede cleared her throat and spoke up. "For now, let's... head back to the dorms. I think we're all tired, so... let's decide what to do tomorrow-"

"Why are you telling us what to do?" Kaede stopped, surprised at the interjection. Angie continued, "Atua says that we shouldn't listen to what Kaede says, cuz she tried to kill someone!

Not only that, but she told no one about her plan. Do you guys think she's trustworthy? Do you? Nya-haha! I think that we shoould appoint a different leader instead!"

"I agree with the airhead! Ooh, pick me to lead, pick me!" Kokichi had looked deadly serious during the execution, but now seemed like his usual chipper self.

"W-what? You're absolutely the last person I would choose! I would choose someone reliable, like myself!"

"No offense Kaito, but you're kind of stupid! Nee-hee hee... just kidding. I definitely meant offense!"

"We can argue about this later. For now, let us head up. I will cook everyone a meal since I know that most of you missed dinner."

"Yay! I love midnight snacks! Thanks, mom!"

(Kirumi gritted her teeth, nerves fraying, but kept her calm facade intact.)

"It would be my pleasure to serve everyone after such a tense experience. But before that, we should assign someone to watch over Tsumugi overnight so that she does not attempt anything."

Angie closed her eyes and spun around on one foot, pointing at a seemingly-random student. "Atua says that Maki should do it cuz she hasn't done anything so far~!"

Kokichi added, "Also, she's the Ultimate Nanny, so she should be able to take care of a teenager just fine!"

Maki knit her brow, opened her mouth, said nothing, closed her mouth again, and grimaced. In the end, she simply nodded, a resigned expression adorning her face.

The group headed into the large elevator. Keebo noticed that some students naturally gravitated towards each other. Kaede stood alone in a corner, looking very small. Ryoma, Kaito, and Shuichi walked next to her and kept her company. Tenko was carrying Himiko, who was sound asleep. The martial artist looked troubled and didn't look anyone in the eye. Kokichi badgered Kirumi, who was forced to participate in a conversation with him about the contents of the meal she was planning on preparing. Gonta glared at Tsumugi, Maki glared at Angie, and Tsumugi wore a blank expression on her face. Angie was either oblivious or uncaring of the dark looks Maki sent her, instead choosing to talk at Korekiyo about Atua.

Miu, who hadn't said much since the end of the trial, sidled over to where K1-B0 was standing.

"..."

"..."

 _Did I actually **want** her to say something to me just now?..._ His helpful inner voice was silent as 15 students rode up the elevator.

When the students walked out of the Shrine of Judgement, Keebo made a promise to himself. _My inner voice... I don't know if it's just my thoughts, or a god, or something else entirely... But I need to place my trust in **something** here...!_

_And it hasn't been wrong yet._

<><><><><><><><><><>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh. Well, on the bright side the Mastermind's been exposed and our favorite protagonist is still alive! Isn't that neat? Hm... I wonder how the rest of the game will pan out? You may have noticed that each "truth bullet" has a name attached to it. That means that that student has access to that truth bullet. Since I can do fun things in this fic like switch POV, I'm planning on making trials less protagonist-focused. 
> 
> So... although the more attentive reader may be able to figure out the murder before the trial, the students most certainly will not. No more yelling at Shuichi for being stupid cause he had to use like the salt circle or whatever to figure out that Kiyo murdered Tenko! I'll try my best not to introduce new plot twists in the middle of the trial like some cases had the habit of doing, by the way. Gonna say it outright: I'm not too confident in my ability to make engaging trials for everyone, so while they will be mysteries, they won't be too complex!
> 
> Although, obviously, for the actual trials I write there's gonna be a longer investigation and trial. Just skippin through some stuff cause you've already heard this before,
> 
> Also, since I'm writing this entire thing on Notepad.exe, I won't be doing any fancy formatting for the trials lol (I mean, unless you guys want me to, I guess. Like, I'm writing all this in markdown straight up. For most of the story, everything will be in prose. Oh, and major kudos and credit to perfectgold for making the chapter end splash image!!!


	5. A Thin Line Divides Heaven and Hell [2.A.1]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night (morning?) after the trial, the students have a midnight snack. Then, they explore the school! Oh. Looks like Kirumi and co. have found something. Kaede does some exploring and finds the legendary hoe taxi. Miu makes one (1) dick joke. Actually, maybe more. (Sometimes, they just slip in there without me noticing.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back, readers. After this point on, the story will... deviate from canon considerably. So, y'know. Buckle up, I guess! Oh, and Kaede's gonna be our main POV char. from now on. Fun, right? Gotta love her. I've finished Chapter 2 Daily Life as of publishing, this section will be split into three chapters with the standard Friday updates. Oh, and this chapter is the longest one- there's a lot of stuff that's going on, I guess.

"This world can be too big and bright for eyes that have spent too long staring down. So be careful. Don't let your eyes deceive you..."  
\- Ryoma Hoshi

<><><><><><><><><><>

Maki didn't necessarily manhandle Tsumugi all the way to her dorm room, but she wasn't gentle with her either. Maki surveyed her dorm room, making sure that no dangerous objects were visible.

"Shoes at the door."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"You're sleeping on the couch. I'm sleeping on the bed." _Of course, I'm not going to sleep a wink tonight after all that's happened. And if Tsumugi has an ounce of common sense... she won't, either._

"H-hey, I was the one that was betrayed by Monokuma! I-I... You don't even know if I'm really the Mastermind or not! I mean... anyone could have found the secret passage if they had just looked closely enough! Except maybe Gonta! So... you plainly can't just-"

"Mastermind or not, you're still a murderer." 

"..."

"..." The hypocrisy of Maki's statement made her stomach churn. Tsumugi seemed to be expecting Maki to follow up on her words, but at that moment the doorbell conveniently rang. _Would this be what students call "being saved by the bell?"_

Maki stood up and walked to the door without a word. Kirumi stood at the door, a tray of food held in each hand. _...How the hell did she open the door?_ Oh. Kaito Momota waved from behind Kirumi. Maki chose to ignore him.

Kirumi whispered, "This is a late dinner. I hope you two have not been too hungry. Please forgive me for not being faster with the cooking and delivery of this meal.

Oh, and by the way, please check the Monopad. Monokuma has instated a new school rule." 

"Thank you, Kirumi. I am grateful for what you have done." Although Maki had skipped lunch and dinner, it hadn't really been a problem because the pangs of hunger were dearly known to her- as part of her assassin training, Maki was once starved for a week straight while doing intensive exercise.

...Still, though, she appreciated Kirumi's gesture and scarfed down her food almost as quickly as Tsumugi. _That woman has no sense of self-preservation. If I was Kirumi, I would definitely have done something to her food. What the fuck was she thinking, just taking the food without testing it for poison?_

(Tsumugi couldn't help but smile as she thought about what Maki must have been thinking about while receiving the food. She had thought that she had made Maki's backstory way too unbelievable and horrible, but the assassin seemed to be adjusting to the Killing School Semester just fine.)

Maki made sure to supervise Tsumugi very carefully during the meal. Anything could be used as a weapon if someone was desperate enough, and a paper tray and plastic silverware and utensils were no exception. After the meal, Maki gathered the trash and tossed it into the trash can in the bathroom.

"Bedtime."

"You know, Monokuma hasn't said a word to me since it tried to kill me at the trial. It's simply plain to see that I've been betrayed by it!"

"..." 

Not even bothering to keep up the pretense that she was going to go to sleep, Maki tossed her pillows and comforter over to Tsumugi and lay on top of the mattress, still dressed in her school uniform. She glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand. 2 AM.

The Ultimate Assassin watched Tsumugi Shirogane's sleeping form, eagle-eyed, for the next six hours. _At least I'm not sore from whatever the fuck happened a couple nights ago anymore._

<><><><><><><><><><>

Kaede watched Kirumi make dinner, awestruck. The dining hall and kitchen being locked didn't stop the Ultimate Maid from completing her duty. Monokuma must have installed an item finding system in the warehouse because Kirumi was easily able to find the materials she was looking for. _I should remind Tenko later so that she can get her medication._ The Ultimate Maid managed to cook a hearty dinner with a matchstick, firewood, skewers, a metal sheet, bottled water, and various canned foods.

After cooking, Kirumi left to go bring food to Maki and Tsumugi back in the dorm rooms. Kaito was quick to jump up to accompany her, to "make sure nothing bad happens to you while walking in the dark." _Kaito's always trying to do the best thing, but... I think Kirumi is more than capable of handling herself ._

The group began eating on a fold-out plastic table. Kaede looked around and hesitantly took a seat next to Shuichi. He acknowledged her with a strained smile. _I tried to kill someone, so why did he try to make me feel better on the elevator?_

After eating a few bites, Shuichi cleared his throat and spoke. "I know what you're thinking, but... what happened with Rantaro wasn't your fault. It's mine. You trusted my detective skills, and they ended up being wrong.”

"Thank you for trying to make me feel better, Shuichi, but this is on me, okay? What I did was..." _The haunting sight of Rantaro’s dead body forced its way into her head before she shook it off._ "...reckless. I wish I’d at least told you my plan, Shuichi!"

"..."

She tried to look him in the eyes but saw that he was pulling his hat over his eyes again, face downcast.

“So, please don't blame yourself! You’re still a great detective!” _Geez, aren't you supposed to be the one comforting me?_

"..."

The two didn't say anything else and the conversation around them lulled as well. Kaede stared down at her plate. Her hands tightly gripped the chopsticks she was holding, and she tried not to look at the nail polish coated on her fingernails. It had yet to even start chipping off. _Even if I wasn't the one who killed him, I... Without my flash distracting him, Rantaro would still be-_

The warehouse door opened, pulling Kaede out of her thoughts; Kirumi and Kaito were back. While the two started to eat, Angie clapped her hands together once, attracting everyone's attention.

"Atua says that we need to do something about the murderer in this room!" She pointed a sculpting chisel at Kaede with a bright smile, sounding like she was announcing that Kaede had just won the lottery. However, the tone of her voice was sharp and stinging, completely at odds with her expression.

"Okay, you guys should offer suggestions, and then we should vote on whether or not to go through with 'em! Obviously, Kaede can't vote, and Atua will make the final decision on all suggestions!" Kaede wanted to protest, but knew that she had no right to. After all, she **had** tried to kill someone, so she had to deal with the consequences.

"I think that we should have a couple of people watch over her for a while to make sure she doesn't do anything stupid~!" Kokichi's first suggestion was met with general, if reluctant, agreement. Kirumi and Korekiyo calmly watched the proceedings, both not saying a word. Himiko was also quiet, but that was simply because she was asleep. Angie okayed the suggestion with a thumbs up.

"Also, we should totally take her backpack so that she can't carry around a huge murder weapon like that again!" Kokichi's second suggestion was met with confusion, but even though some students assumed he was joking, a majority agreed with his suggestion. Angie beckoned for Kaede to relinquish her backpack, and she reluctantly complied. _It felt so much lighter after I dropped the shotput ball... But heavier at the same time. I'm not sad to see it go._

"Also, we should have-"

"Hold on a sec! You can't do that! Give it back, give it back!" Monokuma jumped out from under the plastic table, making everyone jump.

"Hey, how come? Tell us, tell us!" Angie didn't miss a beat, simply leaning closer to the bear and grinning widely, unblinking. She held out Kaede's backpack by one hand and lightly swung it back and forth. _Geez, she can be really scary sometimes! And she seems so sweet, too..._

"The school rules forbid altering your uniforms in any way! Or, they do now, at least! Cuz it's super important that you guys stay in uniform throughout your stay here at this school! _What's so important about Miu staying in her bondage gear, or Kirumi donning her maid dress every day?_

I guess you guys can call me up on a case-by-case basis if you wanna make some changes, though! Cuz I'm a great headmaster nowadays, from experience and all :^)

Oh, but you can wear whatever you want when you're alone. Obviously, no one's looking at you when you're by yourself! ...Probably." Monokuma giggled and did an elegant twirl before diving into a nearby box and disappearing.

With a loud ping, the Monopads all simultaneously rang. The rules had been updated.

**Rule 14: Major changes to student uniforms are prohibited when in proximity with another student.**

_So, even though the Mastermind has been exposed, Monokuma is still insisting that we play by the rules of this stupid Killing Game? What's up with that?_

"What's the point of this rule? They're barely uniforms as is..." Ryoma grumbled, pointedly adjusting his cat-shaped beanie.

Angie seemed to bounce back quickly, tapping the fold-out table with a chisel to get everyone's attention. "OK! This meeting is done-zo, byeeeanora~!" Angie jumped off her chair and skipped out of the warehouse. The other students also took this as a cue to leave and awkwardly filed out of the room. 

"Do not worry, Kirumi! I will help clean up this mess, because as a robot I do not require sleep! Although I would like to be able to emulate human sleep cycles, I can use my special robot functions just this once to help you out."

Tenko paused halfway through the door. She quickly snapped around, Himiko still cradled in her arms. "Huuuhh? Why would a degenerate male want to help a girl out? Do you have any nefarious deeds to plot!?

...Wait, are you even a male? Do robots have genders!!!!" 

“Technically I lack any sort of sex hormones, but I have a few sex characteristics that are consistent with male teenagers, so that is how I am generally addressed. However, I suppose I have never truly explored my gender identity.”

"W-Wh-" Tenko's brain seemed to be short-circuiting, and Kaede pushed her and Himiko out of the warehouse before the situation deteriorated. _I'm glad Miu left already- dozens of robot genitalia jokes would've gotten old fast._

<><><><><><><><><><>

A student woke up early the next morning to an odd noise. The alarm clock read 5 AM. Raindrops softly pattered against the window. _What was that sound?_

Monokuma balanced on the footboard of the bed, holding an odd machine that resembled a flashlight. Silent, the bear smiled and flipped a switch.

"Upupupu... Now you remember, right? You remember the contract? Alright! Do your best!~" Before the student could react, Monokuma jumped off the bed and disappeared.

<><><><><><><><><><>

Kaede woke up promptly to the rhythmic beeping of her alarm, the soft drum of rain against the window, and extremely sore shoulders. 7 AM. Throughout her piano career, Kaede was used to screwing up her sleep schedule due to time zone changes. _Back when performing at a concert while jet-lagged was my biggest problem... I can't wait to get out of here..._

The pianist filled the bathroom sink with cold water and dunked her head in. A hasty shower and change of clothes later, Kaede Akamatsu was ready to face the new day. 

After looking through the dorm window, Kaede looked around for something to shield her from the downpour. As if by magic, a lilac pink umbrella appeared at her room door. It had a music note pattern imprinted on the fabric. _Geez, music isn't my whole personality..._

"Thank you, Monokubs," she squeezed out reluctantly after a while.

"FRIENDS-SHOULD-ALL-HELP-EACH-OTHER.

...

SO-LONG. BEAR-WELL." _Which one was that? He seems nicer than all the others._ Deciding that thinking about the bears wasn't worth her time, Kaede ran through her mental itinerary for the day. 

_First, play a couple hours of piano. Then, apologize to every student in the school for my actions yesterday. Finally, find a way to disable Mononkuma and the Exisals so that we can escape the school. Hmm... What's missing here? Oh yeah, I should probably eat something as well._

Plan of attack decided, Kaede stepped out of the dormitories, ready to face the day head-on. The weight of her backpack dug into her already-tight shoulders, despite only containing her Monopad and a change of clothes. 

_I should be grateful for the feeling of soreness... Because if we had decided that I was the murderer during the trial, I would be feeling dead instead of sore. No, we would **all** be..._

_But now's not the time for that!_

Once outside, Kaede spotted Ryoma and Gonta squatting on the stone path outside. Both of them were soaked. Keebo stood nearby, standing stock still. He carefully held a UFO-patterned umbrella over his head, making sure not to let raindrops splash onto his body.

"Hey guys!" Kaede waved. "What are you guys doing up so early?"

"Gonta wanted to see if there were any bugs that came out because of the rain! Bee saw me, and Ryoma was already awake... So Gonta ask them to come with him!" A ghost of a shudder passed through Kaede; she imagined how Gonta looked when he got really... passionate about bugs. Despite that, Ryoma and Keebo looked content to be with the Ultimate Entomologist. 

Unsure of how to continue the conversation, Kaede paused and mentally psyched herself up. _Screw it, I'm just going to say it._ "Listen, guys. About yesterday, I'm sorry for trying to kill the Mastermind without telling any of you. You guys trusted me, and I violated that trust! So um... I won't do it again?" Kaede trailed off, quickly losing steam. 

No one spoke for a while. Finally, Gonta said, "Gonta forgives you. If you say you won't do it, then he believes in you! That is what a gentleman would do, I think."

Keebo added, "As long as we keep an eye on you and see that you've learned your lesson, I think the others and I will forgive you quickly."

Ryoma shrugged and rose to his full height. He looked at Kaede with a dead-serious expression. "You know, I've done a lot worse. Killing someone to try and save everyone is a lot cooler than killing everyone just to... 

So...you've screwed up, but you know that now. Oh, and where are you going? We were told to follow you around, right?"

And so Kaede found herself playing the piano in front of an audience, polished nails dancing across the keyboard. Two sopping-wet teenagers and a perfectly dry robot was a smaller audience than she was used to, but the Ultimate Pianist appreciated their presence much more than any large crowd. Their attentive gaze warmed her heart.

Kaede walked into the dining hall, shortly followed by Keebo, Gonta, and Ryoma. "Sorry we're late," Kaede said with a smile. All four of them had gotten caught up in the impromptu concert, not noticing the time until it was already a quarter past nine. Kaede looked around the dining hall, noting that there were very few people present. Umbrellas of various shapes and designs were propped up against the wall.

On the left side of the table, Himiko was barely awake. Tenko sat next to her, chattering away, but had abruptly stopped with a visible blush when she saw Gonta and Keebo enter the room. Kokichi, Korekiyo, and Angie were talking to each other quietly on the other side of the table. Kirumi entered the dining hall from the next-door kitchen, somehow carrying three plates in each hand.

Kirumi noticed Kaede's confused look and explained, "Maki and Tsumugi are still in Maki's dorm room. Kaito is asleep, and so is Shuichi. And Miu is in the kitchen fixing the stove and coffee machine." As if on cue, loud banging sounds, coughing, and assorted curse words streamed out from behind Kirumi. Kirumi headed back into the kitchen, concerned.

_And that's all 16 of us accounted for._

_...No, there's only 15 of us now._

Suddenly, Kokichi was standing right in front of Kaede.

"-morning to make sure you didn't try to kill anyone?" _Shoot, I can't believe I spaced out like that. I'm probably more tired than I thought!_

Ryoma answered for her, telling Kokichi about the piano session Kaede and the boys had held. Before Kokichi could respond with an acerbic witticism, Miu stumbled out of the kitchen, Kirumi walking a safe distance behind her. And no wonder; Miu's goggles were pulled over her eyes, and her face and hands were coated in soot. 

Miu pointed at her goggles and laughed, "See, kiddos? This is why you always wear protection!! BWAHAHAHA!" 

Kokichi made a brief comment about "pig shit" and "natural habitat", but before his jabs could start a verbal war Monokuma threw open the doors to the dining hall. The bear was followed by three Monokubs, who worked to carry a large plastic Christmas tree into the room. Monodam trailed behind, carrying four large gift-wrapped present boxes precariously stacked on top of each other. Monokid held up the Christmas tree with one hand and strummed "White Christmas" on his guitar with the other.

"Good thing we don't have that useless womens slowin' us down anymore, right?!" Monokid barked out, set down his part of the Christmas tree, and smashed a guitar into Monodam's head. The boxes all came tumbling onto the ground.

"Merry Christmas!" Monotaro exclaimed with joy while bringing the Christmas tree upright. "I don't remember why we got these gifts to give you bastards, but it must be because of Santa! Cuz Father never gives us birthday presents!"

Angie raised her hand. "What if you don't celebrate Christmas? On our island, we celebrate this time of year differently!"

Monotaro blubbered, "U-uh, what do you mean?? Are there... different cultures in the world?? I DON'T REMEMBERRRRRR-" He ran out of the room crying. 

Monosuke unceremoniously dropped the Christmas tree. It tipped over, smashing through the window. Water from the downpour outside started to trickle into the dining hall. 

Monosuke shrugged and said, "An' that's why you don't make us high-class folx do your dirty work!!! Leave the laboring to the stupid, not me!" The Monokid smashed a second guitar into Monodam's head.

Monokuma watched the scene unfold in awe. "Women truly are the backbones of our society..." he lamented. "Anyways, have a look at the presents I sent to you guys~ Oh, and I'll have the Monokubs fix the window, coffee machine, and stove later. Buh-bye!" The rest of the Monokubs wobbled out of the dining hall behind Monokuma with a " **SO LONG, BEAR WELL**!"

Kaede gaped, mouth opening and closing but only squeaking noises coming out. Kokichi let out an impressed whistle. Miu took his distraction as a chance to smear her dirty hands on Kokichi's newly-pressed white suit. Gonta made sure everyone wasn't hurt by the tree falling, Tenko made sure Himiko wasn't hurt by the tree falling, and Himiko was asleep.

Kirumi composed herself. "We should... vacate the premises now. Let us gather the presents and other students, and reconvene at the student dormitories in a half hour." Wordlessly, the group picked up their umbrellas and left the dining hall.

_What just happened?_

_Well, I'm glad everyone seems okay the day after Rantaro's... death... Right?_

<><><><><><><><><><>

The group was all together now. Shuichi had clearly just woken up, his hair messily sticking out of his hat. He wouldn't meet Kaede's eyes- _is he... really blaming himself for Rantaro's death?_

Kaito loudly exclaimed, "ALL RIGHT! I'm ready to do stuff!!!" Then, he paused. "So, um... What stuff are we doing?"

Maki pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. "I assume this is about whatever these are?” She gestured to the gift boxes lying on the ground. _She seems well-rested... I wouldn't have gotten a wink of sleep if I had to sleep next to the Mastermind. Maki always seems so unperturbed by everything. It's scary._

"Let's just open them!" Kokichi said. "I wonder what I've gotten for Christmas? Probably coal~ Nee-hee hee!"

"Haste makes waste," Ryoma warned. "This may be a trap, knowing Monokuma." 

"Well, in that case, we should get the robot to do it! I'm sure he doesn't mind, and we can just rebuild him later!"

"That's robophobia! I'm reporting you to the police as soon as we get out of here," Keebo pointed at Kokichi and warned. 

"Gonta will do it! He is much tougher than Bee. Keebo is about as strong and tough as an old lady!" Gonta smiled, no ill-will present on his face. Gonta quickly ripped the lid off one of the boxes. The group flinched and covered their faces...

But nothing happened. Cautiously, the students drew closer to the box. Inside the box was... an odd-looking hexagonal crank. The contents of the rest of the boxes were just as puzzling- a wooden tag, plastic toy ocarina, and bronze orb. _Did the Monokubs really just give us this trash to mess with us?_

"Ehhh!?? What kinda shitty joke is this? I've got better things to do with my time!! Like not spending it with you idiots!" 

Himiko rubbed her eyes and blinked, picking up the wooden tag. "Nyeeh... I used my magic, and I think I know what this thing does...?" She trod out of the dormitory room, Tenko following like a lost puppy. Kaede locked eyes with Shuichi and came to a silent agreement. The two followed Tenko and Himiko. 

The group was silent as they followed Himiko into the school. Kaede kept shooting quick glances at Shuichi; he would no longer meet her eye. Himiko guided them first up through the second floor, then back downstairs. They looped through the first floor of the building a couple of times. Just before Kaede was about to kindly suggest taking a break for a while, the group arrived at the hallway leading to the gym. Himiko stood in front of an oddly patterned wall, weeds reaching up to tickle her shins. The wooden tag in Himiko's hands matched the pattern on the wall.

_I had completely forgotten about this weird section of the wall. How did Himiko, of all people, remember this?_

Shuichi mumbled, "So I was right..." Himiko placed the tag carefully into the slot and there was a brief moment of anticipation. Nothing happened. 

Then,Tenko suddenly let out an "Eep!" and moved to cover Himiko's ears... and the wall blew up with a loud bang.

When Kaede's ears stopped ringing, she slowly peeked open her eyes. An entire section of the wall was gone, leading to a dim hallway beyond.

Shuichi croaked out, "When I was investigating the school, I knocked on this wall and it felt kind of hollow... It must have been plaster?" Kaede took out the Monopad in her backpack and turned the brightness of the tablet up to the highest, letting it act as a makeshift flashlight.

The hallway twisted and turned, dull beige wall giving way to cobblestone brick. The hallway grew slightly damp, and Kaede saw moss growing through the cracks. Eventually, the group arrived at a wooden set of doors that seemed oddly like a dungeon. 

Himiko pushed open the doors, and they easily gave way. The magician was bouncing on the balls of her feet, which was basically the most reaction or energy Kaede had ever seen from her.

Beyond the doors was a room that oddly resembled a performance stage. Velvet red curtains hung from the ceiling, and various objects used for magic acts were scattered around, on the floor or on the tables.

_I forgot that other students didn't have access to their Ultimate Labs... This one must be Himiko's, the Ultimate Magici- wait, no, the Ultimate Mage Lab._

"Woah, is this a real bird? I can't believe that you managed to make one with your magic, Himiko!" Tenko's face was pressed up against the bars of a parakeet's birdcage. The bird was mostly a brilliant scarlet red that matched the color of Himiko's hair, but also had green highlights on its wings and tail the color of Tenko's pinwheel hair accessory.

Himiko nodded and idly smiled. "Yup, that was totally me. You can keep it if you want." Tenko squealed and pumped her fists.

Then, Tenko's face fell. "But... How do we feed it and stuff?"

"There's probably bird food in the warehouse..." Shuichi absentmindedly mumbled as he investigated the room in detail. "...There aren't many dangerous things in here. Let's put Tenko's bird back in her room and let the others know about our discovery."

Before Shuichi could dart out of the room, Kaede grabbed him by his arm. "O-ow," he mumbled, "What's wrong?"

Kaede whispered, "Why are you so mopey today? Are you still blaming yourself for Rantaro's death? Cuz you totally shouldn't!" Her whisper escalated into a loud hiss, but Tenko and Himiko appeared not to hear their conversation, too busy observing the parakeet.

"I'm... It's not that. Look, I’ll, uh... talk to you later about it... okay?” Shuichi pulled his hat down and exited the room, and Kaede felt a pang of guilt at pressuring him to talk. _Am I supposed to give him more time to deal with his emotions?_

On the way back, Kaede ran into Miu on the staircase- literally. She barrelled down the stairs at top speed, ramming into Kaede full force. The two toppled to the floor in a heap, and Miu's face rapidly turned red. Miu was quick to jump up and run away. _No vulgar comment? ...At any rate, I'm glad no one was watching that._

(Of course, a GIF of the moment would start spreading through social media forums and message boards in a few hours. The Killing Game, in all its 1080p quality! Thanks, Nanokubs!)

The four students and a bird stood in the lobby of the student dormitory. Maki, Kaito, and Tsumugi lounged on the steps. The present boxes lay on the floor, empty. 

"What happened to the presents?"

"Where did the rest of the girls go?" Shuichi and Tenko spoke at the same time. 

Kaito waved at them, as peppy as ever. "The rest of them left to explore the school after Kirumi realized that she recognized the bronze ball thing from somewhere. After that, the rest of the kids picked up the other presents and left as well. I'm just here helping Maki watch Tsumugi, you know me!" Kaito winked and gave a thumbs up.

Maki looked inconceivably bored as she looked down at the group from her high vantage point on the staircase. She commented, "Nice bird."

Tsumugi had her arms wrapped around her legs and appeared to be thinking deeply about something. Kaito waved a hand up and down in front of Tsumugi's face.

"Y'know, Maki said she hasn't said a word since last night. Probably can’t pry anything out of her in this state."

Shuichi adjusted his cap by a minuscule amount. "I wonder... Has Monokuma betrayed her? Maybe-"

Tenko brazenly interrupted, shouting, "I know! Himiko, use your magic to get her to talk!"

"Nyeeh... No thanks."

"Ehhh!??" 

"I'm tired...I used too much mana exploring today, nyeh." Kaede tuned Tenko and Himiko's conversation out as they left to drop off the parakeet in Tenko's room.

Kaede said, "I think that we should all head to the dining hall and make some lunch. Um, only if you all want to though!” _Actually, knowing Kirumi, she’s probably already gotten started on it._

Kaito stood up and forcefully patted Kaede's back. "Don't sound so unsure! You acted impulsively yesterday, but I've totally got your back! If something goes wrong again, I'll take the blame!"

Maki muttered, "You're one to lecture about impulsiveness..."

"Cuz I've decided that you'll be my sidekick and learn how Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars, does things!" Kaito ignored Maki's jab and finished his speech.

Kaede gently lifted Kaito's arm off her back, perplexed. "Don't I get to decide who I want to-"

"Nope! Maki asked the same thing, you know!! Hey, Shuichi! Be my sidekick too, alright?!"

"O-okay." Shuichi was too surprised by the sudden change of events and seemed to only be agreeing out of his reflexive desire to please others.

Kaito and his "group of sidekicks" left the student dormitories and headed to the dining hall. Tenko, Himiko, and Tsumugi followed them. The pouring rain fell against their umbrellas.

<><><><><><><><><><>

Up on the second floor, Kirumi and Korekiyo guarded the door to the mysterious lab. Both students appeared relatively unfazed by the situation. 

_What kind of Ultimate Talent needs these weapons? Can we use these to escape the Killing Game?_

"Keheheh... I wonder who among us secretly carries the power to end someone's life... How beautiful! I wonder if they've already considered killing someone." Korekiyo mumbled to himself, hugging himself and swaying on his feet. Kirumi hummed in agreement but chose not to respond. _I wonder... Rantaro's secret that he was about to share on the night of his death..._

Surprisingly enough, Korekiyo chose to fill the silence by making small talk. "Kirumi, I see that your elegant apron dress still has Tsumugi's spider web pattern embroidered on it. It suits you well."

"As a matter of fact, when I returned to my dorm rooms the night of Rantaro's trial, I found that all my other uniforms had been updated with Tsumugi's design. It is rather odd, don't you think?"

"Spiders have a very interesting connotations in different cultures... and the meaning of spider webs are usually altogether different and more beautiful... Keheheh..." _While Korekiyo certainly has his quirks, he is much easier to talk to and be around than some of my other clients._

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Gonta burst through the hallway. Ryoma followed shortly after, and after a while, Keebo appeared as well. The robot's machinery was whirring heavily, and exhaust smoke vented out of motors in his legs.

"I could only find these two, but the others are still missing."

Kirumi counted off the students in her head. "Maki is still keeping Tsumugi under guard. Kaede, Shuichi, Tenko, and Himiko ran off earlier, so they are likely still together. Miu went to go get materials from her lab. So that leaves... Angie, Kaito, and Kokichi unaccounted for."

Ryoma wondered, "So what's in that room that's so important?"

Korekiyo silently opened the door, letting Ryoma and Gonta enter. Beyond it was a veritable treasure trove of weapons. At first glance, the armory contained many different varieties of guns, knives, bombs, and other weapons. Ryoma locked eyes on a metal tennis racquet and backed out of the room.

"W-what is this all for?" Gonta stuttered, visibly aghast. "Why would Monokuma give us all these murder weapons?"

Keebo explained, "Actually, this appears to be someone's Ultimate Lab. But we don't know whose it is..."

The most logical answer would be that it is Rantaro's. He claimed he did not remember his Ultimate Talent, and everyone else has a clear talent, so it must be his."

Korekiyo's response was quick. "Ah, but do we truly know that no one else is lying about their talent? After all, we have not seen Angie, Kaito, Kokichi, or Maki use their talents at all... And they do not yet have access to their Ultimate Lab."

Kirumi nodded in agreement. "That's right. And we do not know whether or not a student can own multiple Ultimate Labs, so even those with labs currently are suspicious. At any rate, none of that should matter now."

Keebo's eyes gleamed. "That's right! Now that we know who the Mastermind is, we can use these tools to destroy the Exisals and escape the Killing Game!"

“Let’s not be rash, Keebo. Right now, we are going to lock this room to prevent any of the more... trigger-happy students from wreaking havoc." The boys nodded at Kirumi's decision.

Not a moment later, Miu staggered down the hallway carrying a cardboard box with a tarp taped over it. Both the inventor and the tarp were soaked in water and Kirumi instinctively moved to help her. _This is a heavier load than I expected her to be able to carry._

Miu whined, "No one here's hot enough to get me wet, so the sky had to do it for me! Fucking terrible!!!" While Miu got to work on installing a lock on the mysterious Ultimate Lab, Kirumi checked the time on the Monopad she carried: 12:30 PM. 

Kirumi announced, "I am going to go make lunch. You four boys can stay here and guard the room or leave to go find the others. Oh, but would anyone like to accompany me to the dining hall?"

Korekiyo immediately stood up. After what appeared to be careful consideration and thought, Keebo stood up as well.

Gonta shrugged. "Gonta doesn't really understand, but he knows that he should guard this door. Gonta can go back to look at his bugs in his lab later, though!" 

Ryoma nodded and slid down against the wall. "I'll stay here as well."

Kirumi nodded. "If you need anyone to explore with you, please do not hesitate to reach out." Then, Kirumi, Keebo, and Kiyo left the area. Once downstairs, the three came across Kokichi and Angie talking to each other.

"Hiya! Guess what we found? C'mon, guess, guess!" Angie slowly dripped water onto the floor. A puddle was forming underneath her. Kokichi was completely dry and held a wet umbrella to his side.

Kirumi hesitated, and asked, "Did you find something while exploring outside?"

"That's right! We found where the last two presents lead to! There's a pool inside the school, and a casino and a place called the “Love Hotel” outside!"

Kokichi chimed in, "The Love Hotel is a neat little shack where two kids can spend the night! Monokuma even says he'll give us condoms and stuff!"

Keebo flushed red. "You mean, like a place where Monokuma will allow students to have sexual intercourse with each other? Is... that not allowed outside of the Love Hotel...?"

Monokuma burst through a window. Miraculously, glass shards seemed to fly in every direction but the students'. Rain started dripping through what used to be the window. _Is it going to fix its destruction later, or am I expected to patch up this school?_

Monokuma shook itself out like a wet dog, saying, "HEY! WE GOTTA KEEP THIS PLACE PG-13, YOU KNOW!?" The bear left through the window just as suddenly as it came, and Kirumi's Monopad vibrated. 

**Rule 15: Swimming inside the pool during nighttime is prohibited.**

**Rule 16: Excessive physical intimacy between individuals must be kept inside the Love Hotel.**

_More new rules? Is it trying to regain control of the situation after the Mastermind got caught?_

Kokichi teased, "So, Keebo, how are you feeling? Do you have a robot boner right now? Got a special someone on your mind? Wait, let me guess! Is it Miu? Is it me!!?"

Angie wondered aloud, "What counts as excessive physical intimacy? ...On our island, everyone can exercise in public, and others can join in whenever they want."

Kiyo steered Keebo away from Angie and Kokichi. Kirumi politely bade farewell to the two and left as well. _Nothing but trouble... I will not miss them if- no, **when** \- we escape this place._

<><><><><><><><><><>

Wooden planks had been nailed over the smashed window in the dining hall. Rain continued to pound against the walls of the school.

"How about we name it after Clara Schumann? She and her husband were revolutionary composers and greatly influenced the pianists of the Romantic era!" _Kaede's kind of stupid, suggesting that last name, huh._ Maki leaned up against a wall, one eye on Tsumugi and one eye on the conversation at hand.

"Why would you name something after a 'Schu **man** n', Kaede?!?? Men are terrible!!!" _...There it is._

"We could just call it 'Tenko's Bird'", Shuichi suggested, "Or maybe something like-"

"Silence, male! Women are talking right now!" Tenko screamed and literally threw Shuichi out of the dining hall. _Ouch._ Kaede went over to check on the detective.

"Let's name it after Ibuki Mioda, she's such a cool musician..." Tsumugi mumbled. She was ignored.

"Hey, Tenko, what happens if the bird is a dude? Do you even know for sure it's a chick?" Kaito asked, only slightly spitefully.

Himiko took out a Monocoin. "This is my secret magical deciding coin. Heads for boy, tails for girl." She flicked the coin up high into the air, and it flipped several times before finally landing...

On heads. Monokuma's face smiled up at them from the coin. _Himiko must secretly the Ultimate Comedian, 'cause this is the funniest fucking thing I've seen all day._

Highly pitched whines started coming out of Tenko. Then, she decided, "Okay! I can accept this bird even if it's male, because Himiko gave it to me! I will treasure this bird forever!

I'll call him Richard, because it's such a rich gift from the girl I adore and respect!!!!"

"W-wait, I don't think that-" 

"Be quiet, male!!!! You've already said too much!" Tenko forcefully pushed Kaito out of the dining hall. He tripped over Shuichi's prone form and knocked over Kaede, who was leaning over him. _Is it possible for that idiot to get any clumsier? His incompetence in nearly everything he does is almost endearing... in a way. Somehow._

Maki’s wary ears were alerted to the sound of footsteps, and Kirumi entered the room, carefully side-stepping over Kaede, Kaito, and Shuichi. She dutifully checked to make sure that they were okay. Then, ignoring the scene in the dining hall, Kirumi entered the kitchen. Keebo and Korekiyo followed Kirumi into the dining hall, with Keebo giving a concerned look at the three students scattered on the floor.

Kaito helped Shuichi and Kaede up, and the three trailed back into the dining hall. Shortly after, Kokichi and Angie also entered the room. Angie left wet footsteps in her wake and water dripped off her wet yellow smock. 

_That's most of us accounted for._ Maki wondered out loud, "Where are the other three students?"

Keebo responded loudly, making sure to project his voice so that everyone in the room could hear. "While exploring today, Kirumi, Korekiyo, and I discovered a research lab containing an incredibly large and diverse volume of murder weapons." 

_Oh, fuck._

After gauging the reactions in the room, which ranged from surprised to horrified to borderline excitement to apathy, Keebo continued. "It should be noted that it probably belongs to Rantaro, as he never shared his Ultimate Talent. 

However, although we do not know who it belongs to, it ultimately does not matter!"

Wary and skeptic looks were shared among the gathered students, but Keebo continued on enthusiastically.

"With the Mastermind exposed, the Killing Game will definitely not continue! We will use this lab to gather weapons to disable Monokuma and the Exisals... instead of using the weapons in there to kill each other!" Throughout his speech, Keebo grew more and more excited, hands waving around in excitement.

Keebo's words were met with general nodding and agreement. _I feel bad for dragging Rantaro’s reputation through the mud postmortem, but… I don't think it's a good idea to reveal my true talent right now. Might as well keep what little goodwill I have with the others._

The robot finished speaking. "Ryoma, Gonta, and Miu are in the area right now installing a lock onto the room so that no unauthorized people will be able to access it, just as an extra safety precaution."

Kokichi raised his hand like an eager schoolboy paying attention to a lesson. "What happens if someone here knows how to pick locks? I mean, it's definitely not just me who knows how to, riiiiight?" The room went silent.

Kaede cleared her throat. "I'm sure the Ultimate Inventor can make the lock unpickable, right?" The pianist clasped her hands together and smiled. "And besides, I'm sure that no one will actually try to access the weapons room for a bad reason, cuz we're all on the same team!

We all want to get out of the Killing Game together, right? Just like before!" After considering Kaede's words, the group's mood improved significantly. _Kaede may have been attempting to kill someone last night, but so was I. I can't fault her for trying to save us all._

After a while, Kirumi exited the kitchen with no fewer than 5 large trays balanced on her hands. The 11 students, Tsumugi, and Richard the parakeet began to eat lunch in an improved spirit. The rain started to let up, and by the time the students were finished eating, the sun had begun to shine through the clouds.

(The Danganronpa audience groaned at this obvious metaphor. I mean, all that hubbub and advertisement money on the fact that V3 would have "realistic weather", and it's spent on this shitty symbolism? Like, give me a break. If you were the audience, you would be disappointed too, trust me.)

<><><><><><><><><><>

"Wow, I'm stuffed! Thanks for making such good food for us, Kirumi! I'm not sure what we would all do without you." Kaede's warmly smiled as she finished drinking Kirumi's expertly-made soup. Her words caused a chorus of agreement to sound from the other students. _It's true... I'm not sure how many of us have even touched a stove before!_

Kokichi looked like he was about to say something, but kept his mouth shut. _Actually, that reminds me._

"Hey, Kokichi, where were you this morning?"

"Moi? I was exploring the school with Angie~ Wanna ask what we found?"

"What did you guys find...? Tell the truth, please!"

Angie said, "I'll tell you, but only if you promise to donate blood to Atua later!"

"I told you already, Angie, I'm, uh, anemic, so I can't! Ah, never mind, I'll go and explore the new areas myself." Angie scared the stuffing out of Kaede, but it would definitely be rude to say that out loud.

"Suit yourself, sinner~ Personally, I'm gonna be donating blood ASAP!

Oh, and by the way, since I think a lot more people trust you again for some reason, I'll allow you to go off on your own now!" Kokichi said. His words were laced with a counterfeit generosity. Kaede left the dining room, rolling her eyes at the Ultimate Supreme Leader. _Does he expect me to thank him or something?_

_I still don't know where the weapons room is, exactly. Maybe it's outside, like the Ultimate Inventor's Lab? Oh, but I ran into Miu running down from the second floor, so I think that might be a good place to start my search._

With a grin, Kaede noticed that the rain had finally stopped. Humming a soft melody from Debussy, she jogged up the stairs and almost started skipping through the second-floor hallway. 

First, she noticed that there was a new hallway in the area where her Ultimate Lab was. Recalling how the path to Himiko's lab had opened, Kaede cringed a little and headed through the new space in the wall.

The Ultimate Maid lab was located in an inconspicuous part of the hallway, easily missed. Kaede herself only noticed the entrance because she had the map function opened on her Monopad. _I better not go in there without Kirumi's permission._

As she walked, the map on the Monopad started updating. Judging by the symbol on the map, the Ultimate Entomologist Lab was also on the second floor. Kaede found it easily; it was noticeably large but not flamboyant, just like Gonta himself. There was an empty lobby-like area right outside the lab. Now-familiar grass and weeds covered the floor, except for a conspicuous rectangular spot free of greenery in the center of the empty space. _I need to remember to ask someone if they took anything from here later, it feels like it's missing something._

Then, Kaede headed up to the third floor of the building. _According to this map, it has a room with a gun and dagger symbol and a room with a tennis racket symbol. That must mean that it has... the weapons room and the Ultimate Tennis Pro Lab. Two to three labs per floor- Just how large **is** this place?_

 _And the weapons room... Does it really belong to Rantaro? He never seemed like that kind of person to me._ Kaede unconsciously clenched her hands, fingernails digging into her palm, as she went up the stairs and headed straight for the mysterious room.

The scene she saw gave her deja-vu. Gonta was once again animatedly describing a bug ( _It sounds like some sort of cannibalistic spider... How terrifying_ ) and Ryoma was squatting on the floor, listening intently. Miu had her goggles on and sparks were flying from the door to the weapons room. _How does **she** even have access to all these dangerous tools?_

"Um, hi guys..." Ryoma gave her a wave, but the other two were too engrossed in their task to reply. Kaede walked over to where the inventor was working and lightly tapped her on the shoulder. Miu quickly spun around, nearly hitting Kaede with the butt of the blowtorch she was wielding.

"Aahhh! What the heck?"

Kaede could swear she saw Miu look a little embarassed, looking at her properly for the first time since the incident on the stairs, but she quickly returned back to her normal self. 

"F-fucking Kaediot! Never disturb a girl while she's doin' a blowjob!" Miu scowled, setting the blowtorch down and returning her goggles to their customary spot on top of her head. _She uses them as a headband so often, sometimes I forget that they're supposed to be functional._

Miu continued her tirade. "I know that my beautiful boobs and all that are literally hot as fuck, but you don't have to try and light yourself on fire to try an' get on my level-"

Before the speech could get any more detailed, Kaede interrupted. "Geez, Miu... I say this as politely as possible, but **please** shut up."

"E-eep! It was just a joke, what's with you??" _Did I overreact again? This girl's so tough to talk to._

Candidly changing the subject, Kaede asked, "Oh, that reminds me. Kokichi said that a couple of the students can pick locks...? How strong is _this_ thing you’ve built?”

"Eh?? Are you saying that my lock will fail!? Who the fuck do you think you're talking to, slutty dickmuncher!! Get out!"

"H-hey, that's not what I meant, I just-"

"GET OUT!!!!!" Miu flicked the blowtorch on and thrust it in Kaede's direction. 

Kaede grumbled and left the area.

The exploration continued. Kaede went outside after remembering Angie's dripping wet state earlier this afternoon. She found a pool area that seemed to be sandwiched between two opposite areas of the school. _This must be why we got that one school rule... So why's there another rule about some Love Hotel?_

She found her answer inside the second new area outside. Imposing doors that reminded Kaede of a castle's entrance hung open. _How did Kokichi and Angie manage to get this door open in the first place?_

The atmosphere of the area beyond the door was completely different from the vibe given off by the gray cobblestone walls and the large castle door. Instead of a medieval town or a regal castle, Kaede found herself in Las Vegas. The sky suddenly turned dark, stars sparkling in the now-night sky. Cardboard cutouts of scantily-dressed women lined a boardwalk that led to two large buildings. American rap music inexplicably blasted from the water below. On her right, an expensive-looking, hot pink car was rotating on a platform, levitating on the water like some kind of display piece. 

_Huh?_ Kaede rubbed her eyes, but the baffling scene was still in view. Suddenly, Monosuke leaped from the water, splashing Kaede right in the face.

"Hey! Youse gots a good eye! Looking at my custom-made hundred million dollar 'Psyche Taxi???', huh!?? Well, it's yours! For a small price of a million Monocoins!

Why Monocoins, you ask?? Well y'see, it's cos my actual credit card account got frozen by the authorities after the G-Mans founds my quasi-legal money laundering scheme involving an offshore bank account and several hundred thousand child workers!!!! :c"

Kaede felt like she was losing years of her life just by listening to Monosuke ramble. She ignored the bear and continued walking, ending up in front of a massive gleaming white building with ostentatious flashing lights attached to the walls. To the right of the building, there was a run down drive-through motel. As she looked at the fluorescent pink sign attached to the facade of the motel, a screw tumbled down from a letter “V” and the letter flickered off.

"LOE HOTEL"

Kaede walked up to the front door and squinted at the sign pinned on the door. 

It read, "You guys are all 18, right??? That means that this is definitely all legal, no matter which country we're in!!!!" 

A headache started to form. _I think I'll avoid this place for now... Wait, I'm eighteen????_ Tangling with this revelation in her head, Kaede walked back to the dining hall for dinner, completely distracted.

<><><><><><><><><><>

"AHAHAHA!!! RICHARD????? Yeah that, THAT'S RICH. REAL RICH. AHHAFLSDJFALSDFJL!!!!!!" Miu was literally in tears after she heard the name given to Tenko's new bird. The dining hall collectively groaned, but Miu chose not to continue on. _The comedic value's so high, it integer overflowed into being unfunny again. I hate it when the innuendos are obvious, it's not fun at all!_

Miu wiped tears from her eyes and said, "By the way, the lock is finished! No need to thank me, sluts!"

Kaede shouted, "Hey! Don't compare us to people that sleep around! That's rude!"

"H-heeee! It was just a joke, chill!"

Kirumi raised a singular eyebrow in a picture-perfect gesture of mild surprise. "Already? How fast. Who has the key to it?"

In response, Miu took out her Monopad from somewhere underneath her "uniform". "Alright, listen up, dumb fucks! I found out that these stupid things have e-tags keyed into them!! So all ya have to do to unlock the door to the murder room is place the tablet over the lock, and if you have access, it'll open! Aren't I amazing??? Say it! Say I'm amazing and awesome!"

Kaede cautiously said, "That is amazing and awesome, but who has access to the room?"

Miu shrugged. In an act of self-awareness Kaede would probably find surprising, she said, "I dunno, only me so far! Kirumi can decide, cuz she's better with that stuff than I am." 

_There are about three people I trusted not to try and kill me the night of the first murder... Kirumi, cuz she said she would off herself before we all died, Kaede, cuz she's too much of a goody-two-shoes for that, and Keebs, cuz I don't think he's actually **capable** of murder._

_Well, the Killing Game is basically over now, right?. No one's gonna try and kill anyone now._

Maki said, "I'll be taking Tsumugi back to my room now... I hope you guys have a better idea for dealing with her tomorrow."

Angie giggled and twirled a pencil around in her hand. "Don't worry! Atua gave me some good ideas for a guard system today that I'll work on tonight~ Nyahaha! Byeanora~!" Angie suddenly stood up and skipped out of the dining hall, a whirlwind of motion.

The room grew silent as the students wondered what Angie was planning. _I don't have time to be worrying about what that airhead is up to!_

"Sooo... Wouldn't it have been funny if Richard was a rooster? I would be best friends with Dick the Cock...AHAHHAHAH!!!!" With that, Miu left the dining hall as well, cackling loudly at her own joke. _Guess there was some comedic value there after all. Hey, maybe I'll get started on something that'll let me write dick jokes in my sleep tonight!_

<><><><><><><><><><>

_DANGANFORUMS.COM_

_TSUMUGI SHIROGANE HATE THREAD: UPDATED FOR V3  
(Page 5/15)_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
RanzuForever52 at 4:03pm  
Tsumugi’s last couple of seasons were what got me back into DR :/ but now she killed off my sweet baby boy Rantaro?? ;_;_

_I don’t know :( I just don’t like how V3 is going :(_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Miogamiz replying to RanzuForever52 at 5:37pm  
amami wasn’t one of my fave characters from last season but i feel ur pain (.づ◡﹏◡)づ._

_v3 has so much rehashed content… how many detectives do we even have now lol_

_if those leaks about kork’s backstory turn out to be true i think i’ll actually stop watching fml_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_  
NEWWORLDRONPA at 8:03pm  
TSUMUGI SHIROGANE IS A FAT COW AND DESERVES TO DIE (1/26) 

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_The tablet was turned off and put away. Its owner chuckled._

_< ><><><><><><><><><>_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And if you haven't picked up on it by now, I'm keeping the original end-game twist of V3. Sorry! As to how I'm getting to the reveal and the specifics of it that Tsumugi never really explored, however... Well, I guess that's for me to write and for you to figure out! See you guys next week.


	6. Our First Blast From the Past! [2.A.2]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsumugi finally gets a speaking line! Angie proposes a plan. Introduction of the motive. Oh, and the Flashback Light is finally here...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas, everyone! Here is your weekly update of the story. Have a wonderful holiday season, all! In this chapter, nothing bad happens because this is now a slice of life comedy because Kaede is so GOATed that she singlehandedly stopped the Killing Game by becoming best friends with everyone. 
> 
> ...What's that? I'm looking at the wrong story draft? Oops. Happy reading, everyone.

The Ultimate Assassin might've been trained to deal with overnight missions, but over two days and two nights without a wink of sleep was long enough to cause at least some mild discomfort. And that was to say nothing of the state the Cosplayer was in...

Tsumugi had been doing nothing but silently stare glassy-eyed into her knees all day, but it had looked like a determined silent stare. Gradually, though, it had worn down, and her expression was now one of a familiar hopelessness. She looked crushed, like she'd cry any second. Maki almost felt... kind of... bad for Tsumugi? Like a child whose hard-earned ice cream cone had toppled and started melting on the tarmac.

_Okay, so now I'm sympathising with the **maniac** behind that stupid bear. If I don’t get up and do something soon, I'm probably going to go fucking insane and start singing a lullaby or some shit._

"I'm leaving to take a walk." She announced abruptly, and the blue haired husk on the other side of the room suddenly shot to life. "And I'm locking the door. So don't try **anything**."

"Sure thing." Tsumugi forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes, and all of a sudden there was a faint glint in her glasses.

"After all, someone as plain as me wouldn't dare try to pull anything on the Ultimate Assassin."

Maki's blood ran cold, and she whipped her head back. If looks could kill... "You-"

Tsumugi just laughed. "What, was I so plain you forgot that I was the Mastermind of this whole Game? Obviously, I would know all of your little secrets."

Maki brushed off her feelings of inadequacy- of course the person who placed them here would know her secret. But instead of the expected anger toward Tsumugi, she found herself growing curious. Unfamiliar.

"How much _do_ you know? About how we got here... and about the Killing Game."

The Mastermind was smiling now- she realised she had caught Maki hook, line, and sinker. _And I fell right into her trap._

"Well... would you let me check my Monopad?" Maki had confiscated Tsumugi's tablet on the way in as an extra safety measure. She had been planning on not touching the Monopad at all and giving it to a responsible leader-type student- Kaede, possibly?- as soon as the shift was over. But on the other hand, Monokuma seemed to have stopped interacting with Tsumugi altogether, so would it really be the end of the world if she...?

She still felt like she was making a mistake, but... whatever information she could pry from the Mastermind would be worth the risk. And besides, Tsumugi was right. With her Ultimate Talent, Maki could stop Tsumugi with force if necessary if she tried anything suspicious. She pulled out the Monopad from within the folds of her uniform and handed it to Tsumugi.

The Mastermind's ( _former Mastermind's?_ ) face lit up immediately with a smile of hope and began tapping out what Maki assumed was some kind of secret password. Unfortunately, Tsumugi keyed in the code way too quickly for her to glean even a hint of the code. 

Maki saw the odd phrase "Danganforums" before Tsumugi turned the tablet away from her prying eyes. 

She squealed, "No peeking!" and began to scroll, staring intently at the screen. But the more she scrolled, the more her enthusiasm and hope appeared to drain away.

After a couple of minutes, she set it down again, looking distraught. She shook her head and gazed back up at Maki, suddenly offering another smile. This smile, however, was not filled with hope. Rather, it was tinged with the familiar fervor of spite.

"Alright, Maki. Let’s talk."

<><><><><><><><><><>

 _The longer we stay here, the better our chances of escaping get!_ Kaede tried to convince herself that today would finally be the day the students all escaped the academy. She repeated the phrase over and over throughout her morning routine, drilling it into her head. Yes, today would definitely be the day everyone would escape!

Confidence restored, Kaede left her dorm room for what would hopefully be the last time. The Monokubs' morning announcement went off as soon as she walked out. A couple of students milling around in the lobby turned their heads to watch. In Monophanie's absence, it seemed like the Kubz' social order had quickly disintegrated into anarchy. Monokid had no fewer than three honey jars cradled in his lap, Monosuke had cardboard cutouts of curvy anthropomorphic lady bears (you could tell because they had bras on) propped up around him, and Monotaro was crying into Monodam's lap while bawling out the morning announcement.

Mesmerized, Kaede's eyes stared at the monitor in awe until a voice behind her snapped her back to reality.

"Oh, good morning Kaede. Will you be heading to the dining hall to, ah, 'chow down' with us?" Keebo greeted Kaede in that disjointed and oddly formal way of his.

"Yup! We'll be going over our plans for Tsumugi during breakfast, right?"

Keebo nodded, "That matches up with what I remember of our plans. I will go fetch the students still asleep."

The weather outside was delightful, a clear blue sky dotted intermittently with wispy white clouds. _That reminds me, I should tell everyone about my exploration results and ask Kirumi about the weapons lab._

Kaede hummed a classical tune and took the outdoor path to the dining hall. To her surprise, Korekiyo materialized out of... somewhere and silently fell in step beside her. Korekiyo marched ahead and held the dining hall door open for Kaede, and the two walked in and sat down by the table to wait for the rest of the students to file in.

Kirumi, Gonta, and Ryoma were already in the room by the time Kaede and Korekiyo arrived. Tenko ran in next, long pigtails still dripping water from a hasty shower, followed by a broody Maki and apathetic Tsumugi. Next came a cheerful Kaito and Keebo. Himiko gave a yawn as she lagged behind an animated Angie. Kokichi, Miu, and Shuichi came in last, entering over an hour after the morning announcement had rang. _Seeing this gives me a pretty good idea of these students' personalities._

"I am glad to see that we are all present and accounted for." Kirumi returned from the kitchen carrying trays upon trays of breakfast dishes, and Gonta immediately got up to help her serve. The group dug in, devouring the breakfast with gusto. (Judging by the reactions of the students to Kirumi's food, the audience wondered if the writers had made her into a Mary Sue character- I mean, it seemed like her cooking abilities rivalled those of even the Ultimate Cook!)

After breakfast, Angie had an announcement to make. "Hey hey, listen closely, okay? Last night, Atua gave me some divine advice on how to deal with Tsumugi! We’ll all take turns being guards and stand outside her room! I have a schedule drawn up already~"

 _That idea is... not bad, actually. I was expecting a lot worse!_ Judging by their looks of surprise, the rest of the students agreed with Kaede. _Plus, everyone can get a chance to ask Tsumugi about what's going on!_

As if reading her mind, Angie's idyllic smile morphed into an intimidating leer in the blink of an eye. She bent forward, slamming her palms on the dining table for emphasis. "Oh, and we should make a rule against letting anyone talk to Tsumugi, cuz she's kinda a snake!

I mean... what if there's someone here that's secretly working with Tsumugi, or what if Tsumugi manipulates someone into murder? That wouldn't be good for any of us! Nyahaha~"

 _She’s not wrong, Tsumugi really did..._ Kaede did her absolute best to force the mental image out of her head. _But she’s our only lead on what’s going on here... Is throwing this chance away really alright?_

"So let's all do the safest thing, kay?"

Given Angie's recent animosity to her, Kaede kept her thoughts to herself- she didn’t want to start up an argument in an already tense situation. _I'll talk to Shuichi about it later!_

Ryoma was the first to object. "However, if she’s really the mastermind... Wouldn’t talking to her be worth it? Clearly she knows more than she’s letting on. Maybe she can give us a few clues about how to escape."

Kaito disagreed and pointed a scowl at Tsumugi. "We can get outta here without her help, right guys? I don't think we should risk it!!! And I'm the hero of this story here, so you gotta listen to me!"

Kokichi said, "Why don't we just kill Tsumugi and put an end to the discussion? Hey, Kaede, you should do the honors! I mean, you tried killing someone already, right?"

"Don't say that, Kokichi." Shuichi spoke up before Kaede could defend herself. "If we kill Tsumugi now, we would still have to hold a class trial and execute the blackened... And besides, Monokuma could choose to kill us all with the Exisals at any time."

Kokichi sniffled. "Don't be so mean, Shuichi! I was lying, dummy... I'm not as stupid as some of the other guys here, like-"

Ever the calming force, Kirumi suggested a vote before an argument could break out.

The hands of Angie, Himiko, Tenko, Gonta, Maki, Kaito and Kokichi all went up in opposition to talking to Tsumugi. Not wishing to contradict the majority, Kirumi and Korekiyo’s hands joined them.

_Well, it's true that we don't really **need** to talk to her at this moment... But I still think it could be our best shot at escape! At any rate, I'm sure Angie's just trying to keep us all safe._

Angie smiled. "See? Atua wills it! In the future, you guys shouldn't question what He says~"

Kokichi couldn't resist asking, "Are you sure **you** aren't the Ultimate Supreme Leader? Hey, did our talents get mixed up?" Angie ignored him and took out a rolled up piece of paper from her utility belt.

"Okey-dokey! Here's the schedule~" She unrolled the paper and spread it out on the dining table. Audible gasps and groans came from the students as they saw who they had been paired up with.

✨♥Angie's Divine Guard Schedule!!♥✨  
Day 1  
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM  
Shuichi and Tenko  
6:00 PM - 2:00 AM  
Kaito and Kokichi  
2:00 AM - 10:00 AM  
Kaede and Angie

Day 2  
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM  
Himiko and Keebo  
6:00 PM - 2:00 AM  
Korekiyo and Kokichi  
2:00 AM - 10:00 AM  
Maki and Gonta

Day 3  
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM  
Tenko and Ryoma  
6:00 PM - 2:00 AM  
Miu and Kirumi  
2:00 AM - 10:00 AM  
Maki and Keebo

Day 4  
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM  
Kaito and Gonta  
6:00 PM - 2:00 AM  
Kirumi and Shuichi  
2:00 AM - 10:00 AM  
Ryoma and Kaede

Angie chirped, "I'll post these in the dorm lobby later, okay?"

Tenko's face morphed into a... unique... expression of... _ah, is that contempt?_ “You placed me with degenerate males!? How the heck did you make these pairs!?"

"With Atua's guidance, of course! Are you questioning Him, Tenko?"

"Why would I listen to a degenerate male in the first place!??"

"Wait, Atua has no confined form, Tenko! He could be anyone... Like a nice lady... or a popular idol!"

“A popular.. idol...? H-Hey, don't lie, Angie! I'm not that dumb, y'know. You said Atua's a male, so I'm not listening to whatever He says!"

Shuichi muttered, "That's an interesting way to avoid getting brainwashed... And, um, Tenko, I'm not that bad for a guy... Right?"

Tenko squinted at Shuichi and thought deeply. Finally, she admitted, "...I can handle eight hours with you without breaking anything, I think. Just don't try to interact with me, degenerate!! Let's go!" Tenko roughly grabbed Tsumugi and Shuichi, and the three left the dining hall.

Maki followed them out. "I have not slept in 40 hours. Bye."

_It looks like I have a shift tonight with... Angie?! Ah, but in the meantime, I should be looking for a way out of the school. And that reminds me- I have a couple things I need to say to everyone!_

The rest of the students were starting to leave as well, but Kaede got the students' attention with a shrill whistle. "Wait, I have something to tell everyone! I visited all the new areas in the school yesterday." Kaede told the remaining 11 students about the bizarre casino area, the pool, Himiko's Lab, and the second and third floor of the school.

"Also, is it alright if I check out Ryoma, Kirumi, and Gonta's Ultimate Labs? I want to see if I can find anything we can use to escape."

The rest of the students nodded and left, with Keebo and Kirumi staying to tidy up the room. It had become an unspoken agreement between the more polite students to help Kirumi out with cleaning things whenever possible.

"Hey, Kirumi!" The maid turned around from where she was cleaning up the students' dishes. "Are you planning on giving access to the weapons room to anyone else?"

Kirumi nodded. "Just Shuichi for now. He wants to investigate the room and look for tools that will facilitate our escape from the school."

"That makes sense. See you, Kirumi!" Kaede left the dining hall. _Alright, what should I do today?_

<><><><><><><><><><>

_Alright, what should my Golden Brain and I do today!? ...That's right, I was gonna finish up that side project!_

Miu fiddled with the pin affixed to her uniform collar as she walked through the halls. The cute mouse mascot smiled up at her.

_The fact that I love childrens' cartoons is already on the Monopad... Did they really need to make me wear this fucking stupid pin as well? ...Maybe I should go see if there are any episodes in the A/V room... Wait, focus! The radio!_

(The Nanokubs zoomed in on Miu's chest, giving the audience a close up look at the pin and also, obviously, her huge tits. Across a billion screens worldwide, the camera feed of the Killing Game cut out and played a short advertisement for _Niko Niko Happy_ 's 27th season premiere. Wow, ads and sponsorships sure are everywhere these days, huh?)

Miu realized that she had been aimlessly wandering around the campus, and had somehow ended up in the casino in the process. _Well, while I'm here..._ Miu's wandering gaze landed on the casino prize counter and her eyes bugged out at the sight of a large, shiny, brand new, vibrating, purple, sexy...

external hard drive. _Holy shit. This thing looks fucking epic. I need it._

(The average viewer wouldn't know the business responsible for making this particular thousand-dollar high-end model, but the company still paid good money to have their newest model featured in the Killing Game anyway.)

Down in the casino's basement, Miu crouched in a dark corner and sneakily took out a couple of wires and her Swiss Army Knife. With a couple of artful twists and turns, the inventor opened up the back cover of one of the slot machines and started messing around inside. She connected a couple of wires to her Monopad and got to work.

After a couple tense minutes, during which Miu was absolutely positive she was about to get caught at any moment, her job was finished.

"Jackpot!" Miu cackled loudly. 999 Monocoins and 999,999 casino coins appeared in her Monopad's digital wallet. Kaito walked over from his spot at one of the slot machines; his jaw dropped open when he craned his head to look over Miu's shoulder at her Monopad. He hesitantly took out his Monopad to look at his own Monocoin balance and promptly fainted on the spot.

Suddenly, both Monopads vibrated.

**Rule 17: Tampering with the casino machines in any way is strictly prohibited.**

Scowling, Miu yelled at the ceiling, "Stop trying to fuck me over, hardass! I was just try'na have a lil' fun in this shithole!" Miu left Kaito lying on the casino floor and headed back upstairs.

"Fucking stuffing up its ass bitch bear...!" Miu was still grumbling to herself at the exchange shelf. Monosuke popped up from behind the glass shelf and handed her the purple hard drive she pointed at.

With a conspiratorial whisper, Monosuke said, "Hey, don't worry, I support taking advantage of the system for profit while harming the less privileged as well! Don't tell Pops I said that, though...

Oh, also, wanna buy that car that's sitting outside? 1% interest rate for five years, subject to rapidly increase to take advantage of the economically illiterate! Terms and conditions **will** apply!" Miu was already tuning him out, thinking about how she had ended up in the casino in the first place.

 _Oh shit! I completely forgot!_ Shoving the hard drive into her BDSM gear, Miu set off for the warehouse. She grabbed the materials needed to finish making her project- an extra spool of copper wire and a simple germanium diode- and sauntered back to her Ultimate Lab.

_This prolly won't work, but... I gotta at least try it out before I start making those thingies Kokichi wanted! Those are gonna be a bitch to try an' invent. But, if I get a signal from the radio, then I can start building a broadcasting device instead and then get us out of here!_

Miu had been working on the radio for some time when a knock sounded on the front door of the lab.

"Alright, is this a booty call?! Come in, but only if you can afford it!!!" Miu checked who was outside before unlocking her door. Keebo entered the dark lab with a timid look around. With a couple of taps on her Monopad, the ceiling lights flickered on and Keebo gasped, startled.

"I connected the lights to my Monopad. Figured out how to modify the thing yesterday, actually! Awesome, right!?" Miu started to relax a little; Keebo was someone she could trust.

"Oh, by the way..." Miu gave a predatory grin. "I won a huge data storage hard drive from the casino earlier. Can I please please pretty please download your brain? I bet that Idabashi weirdo stuffed so much cool code in there... Seeing your coding would give me such a huge orgasm, it'd show up as seismic activity!!!

Hell, maybe I could even make a whole new you! Keebo 2: Miu Edition!"

Keebo squeezed his eyes shut and backed away, waving his hands. "W-woah, no way! I... cloning myself just sounds wrong. I mean... if you make another one of me... Which one is really me? There's a lot of ethical questions about cloning that I am not programmed to confront. Sorry, I don't think I'm comfortable with that."

Miu pouted at the rejection. "Well, if you don't wanna have a once in a lifetime chance to ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛, whatever!"

(Broadcasting dead bodies and gory murders was 100% okay on DanganTV, but an imaginative innuendo that involved the words "twink", "self-cest", and "threesome”? No way. After all, there were innocent children watching this show!)

"W-what do you mean by that?" Keebo cleared his throat after an awkward silence. "Um...anyways... So I was wondering... Could you run a maintenance check on me? I think I got a little wet last night, particularly in my lower areas."

"Woah~ Who was the lucky gal!?? Or guy, I don't judge. A-and why wasn't I invited?!!!"

"Oh, no one tried to get me wet on purpose. Getting myself wet was my own fault. So, can you help?"

Miu stood there, slack-jawed. After a moment, she gathered her composure and spoke.

"Well, duh-doi! Of course I can! I'm a genius, after all! So go grab these tools while I finish this thing up, alright?" Miu proceeded to rattle off a lengthy list of multi-syllable words and incomprehensible machinery jargon.

"C-can you write that down?"

"Bah! It's all in one of the drawers in the back, you'll find it!! And before you say anything, it's not messy, it's organized chaos!!" Ignoring Keebo's stuttering protest, Miu pulled down her goggles and finished soldering the last wire of her makeshift radio. The machine looked like something out of a child's science project, except for the out of place high-tech Monopad hastily fused to the cable board.

Miu turned up the volume on her Monopad a little, fiddling with the antennae. _There's only static right now, but that makes sense. I'm in a building. Maybe if I move outside later-_

Her thoughts were cut off by Keebo speaking. "I think I found it! Does the box have a metal tool that sort of looks like a paintbrush?"

Then, Keebo's voice sounded again. **From her Monopad**. "I think I found it! Does the box have a metal tool that sort of looks like a paintbrush?"

 _H-Huh?_ Miu’s blood ran cold. The voice spoke with **perfect** clarity. _But... that means..._

...She absolutely refused to panic. Instead, like any competent scientist, she followed the scientific method.

1\. Evaluate prior info: Keebo's voice came out of her Monopad radio device.  
2\. Construct a hypothesis: Keebo was functioning as some sort of radio broadcasting device.  
3\. Test the hypothesis: Miu yelled out, "Yeah, that's the one! J-just bring it over, 'kay?"  
4\. Analyze the data: Miu's distant voice echoed from the Monopad.  
5\. Draw a conclusion: Keebo was functioning as a radio broadcasting device.  
6\. Share the conclusion: Shit! Shit, shit shit!

Miu ripped out the cords attached to the Monopad and shut it off as Keebo staggered over, arms loaded with a box crammed full of tools. Her mind raced as he put down the box and looked at her expectantly.

“Um! So, in order to do a full check for water damage, I'm gonna have to shut you down. That’s... okay? Right?” Keebo pursed his lips but nodded.

"I trust you, Miu."

Miu pressed Keebo's shutdown button. She took a few shuddering breaths and wiped her sweaty palms on her uniform after his engines stopped whirring.

She took a moment to collect herself, and got to work.

<><><><><><><><><><>

Maki was sitting on a bench, knees drawn up to her chest. She glared at the locked Ultimate Lab. _So, that's where it is..._

Kaito walked up next to her. "Hey, what's up, sidekick? I thought you needed sleep?"

"Just... exploring." Maki brazenly lied.

"Oh, cool!"

"..."

The two students had just been making small talk, but suddenly the silence between them was deafening. Something possessed Maki to glance up at Kaito and they caught each others’ eyes. The expression Kaito wore on his face was... unfamiliar.

Kaito began, "Maki... The weapons room...

It's your lab, isn't it...?"

The astronaut didn’t even get a chance to breathe before he was up against the wall. She forced her forearm against his throat, murder in her eyes. "What the **fuck** did you just say?"

He struggled for breath, terrified. “You- I-”

“What do you... **How** do you know?" The death grip on his throat loosened, and just a hint of fear shone through Maki's stone-cold expression.

“It was just... a guess? I didn’t... I couldn’t...” He forced the words out between coughs. “You were always kinda cagey about your talent and... There was that thing with the bandages the other day and, well...”

In spite of the pain, Kaito cracked a bold smile. “Call it a gut instinct.”

Maki released him and turned around, obscuring her face from Kaito's view.

The astronaut exhaled a shaky sigh of relief and cracked another smile between a round of hacking coughs. "Whew! You had me scared there for a second, Maki Roll." His attempt at levity got no response. “And look, I-"

"I’m the Ultimate Assassin. Tell anyone and I swear, I'll kill you."

"Maki... You don't have to threaten me." She had been about to walk away, but stopped dead in her tracks.

"I'm sure you have your reasons. And besides, friends keep each other's secrets, right?”

 _We're... friends?_ Flustered, Maki kept walking, leaving without another word.

Kaito called out, "Friends help each other out, Maki Roll! Just remember that!"

<><><><><><><><><><>

Kaede noted that because of both Kaito and Kokichi's absence, the dining room was a lot quieter that evening. _I hope that they're not at each other's throats already. It'll be a long eight hours for Kaito. I kind of feel bad for him, actually!_ Miu and Maki were also absent from the dining hall, although neither absence appeared particularly unusual. _They should at least let us know where they are though, geez!_

Kirumi glided into the dining hall, balancing no fewer than 7 dishes at once. "Please enjoy this meal. I will deliver food to Kaito, Kokichi, and Tsumugi in the meantime. If anyone sees the absent students, please let me know so that I can deliver their dinner to them."

A chorus of "thank you"s rang from the students in the room. The Ultimate Maid gracefully bowed and left the dining hall.

Kaede whispered to Shuichi, "Hey, how was guard duty with Tenko?"

"U-uh, it wasn't terrible... We kind of just ignored each other, I guess...

I half thought about going to talk to Tsumugi, but Tenko looked like she was going to punch me if I even put my hand on the doorknob." He blushed a little as he recalled the shift's events.

Swallowing another bite of food, Kaede smiled, "Well, at least you didn't get thrown by her again, right? Oh, and I visited Ryoma, Gonta, and Kirumi's labs today, but I didn't find anything."

"That's right, I still need to go investigate the weapons room... I'll find the time to do that tomorrow."

"And, oh! One last thing." Kaede said, "While I was investigating the second floor, I found a weird empty spot next to Gonta's lab. It was pretty obvious that something should have been there."

Shuichi nodded. "That's right, I noticed that too. I don't have any theories for now, but I suppose I'll ask around-"

Their conversation was interrupted by an alarm ringing from Kaede's Monopad- the time was 6:30.

"Alright! I need to head to bed now so I can get at least seven hours of sleep before my guard shift!" Kaede said a little loudly. Odd looks were shot in her direction.

"Hey, what's with all the weird looks? It's important to get at least eight to nine hours of sleep every day!" Shaking her head, Kaede walked out of the dining hall ready to get some shut-eye. _Guess I'm staying in this school for one more night after all. But! Only one! Tomorrow is gonna be the day we escape!_

Inside the dormitories, she passed by Kirumi, Kokichi and Kaito. Kirumi was holding Kaito back by his collar like an unruly pitbull. Kokichi looked like he was having the time of his life, wiping tears out of his eyes as he chuckled. _Kokichi always seems so unbothered by everything, and I'd like to think that that isn't true, but I haven't even seen him shed a tear over Rantaro's death! Maybe he's just the type that cries alone?_

Kaede finished up her nightly routine and plopped onto the dorm room bed. _Ever since Monodam changed the humidity and heat settings to be comfortable, this room has felt less like an upscale hotel and more like, well, a permanent home. Is that a good thing or bad thing?_ With a cocktail of thoughts swirling about in her head, Kaede drifted off to an uneasy sleep.

The shrill alarm woke her up in the middle of a cold sweat. Memories of the nightmare were already hazy, so Kaede took no time to linger on it and instead started to dress and prepare for her guard duty with Angie. Kaede grabbed a notepad and pencil won from the Monomono machine a couple of days ago, and prepared for eight hours with the Ultimate Artist.

"Good morning, Angie! Good morning, Kaito and Kokichi!" The lights in the dormitory lobby were off, and the only illumination in the building was the light of the moon shining through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

"Hiya-hiya! Ready for a divine guard session?" Angie brought over two folding chairs and sat down, criss-crossing her legs in the seat.

Kaito shot Kaede a pained smile and small wave before walking back to his dorm room in silence. The door slammed behind him. Kokichi gave an exaggerated yawn, fanning his hand over his mouth. "Welp, I'm dead tired! Or am I? Nee-hee hee! Nighty-night~" He walked off as well. _I hope Kaito didn't suffer too much on guard duty with Kokichi._

A half hour in, Kaede hadn't made much headway in composing a music piece on her notepad. Beside her, Angie was still sitting in the chair in a lotus position. Her eyes were closed and she appeared to be meditating. _Geez, don't tell me she's already asleep!?_

Kaede placed the pen she was holding on the notepad in her lap and reached her hand out to Tsumugi's doorknob, eyes trained on Angie. _Just... a test._

Suddenly, Angie's eyes flew open and Kaede quickly removed her hand from the doorknob, returning to fiddling with the pen. Angie's eyes fluttered closed again without a word, an easy smile falling onto her face.

_Angie's a lot scarier than she looks. But I think that she's probably actually pretty well-meaning, right? It's just... there's a culture gap between us. Yeah, that must be it! She'll trust me again when I prove myself- by getting us all out of here!_

About an hour into the guard shift, Kaede felt her eyelids starting to droop. _Hmm... How can I stay awake? It wouldn't look too good if I fell asleep during my shift._

"Hey, Monodam!" Kaede whisper-shouted. The green bear appeared out of nowhere.

"Can you bring me over a small keyboard?"

"WHY-DO-YOU-REQUIRE-IT?" Monodam, Kaede had noticed, was much more talkative when Monokid wasn't around.

"O-oh, I'm just gonna... Keep my friend Angie company with music." Kaede gestured to a probably-definitely-not-asleep Angie.

"...THAT-IS-SATISFACTORY. FRIENDS-SHOULD-KEEP-EACH-OTHER-COMPANY." Monodam was very easy to manipulate. He snapped his fingers, but nothing happened. Then, after half a minute, an electrical keyboard flew through the window with a loud crash. Kaede cringed at the excessively attention-drawing entrance of the keyboard. Angie cracked open one eye and surveyed the scene before returning to her meditation with a smirk on her face.

Maki cracked open her dormitory door, looked at the large hole in the window, looked at Kaede, looked at the keyboard, looked at the hole in the window again, and slammed her door shut. A pajama-clad Miu, Kirumi, and Korekiyo all did something similar.

Monodam said, "OOPS. HOW-CLUMSY-OF-ME! SO-LONG, BEAR-WELL." He jumped out of the hole in the window and disappeared.

 _What's with these Kubz and their property destruction? They know that they're the ones who are going to end up fixing the damage with their Exisals, right?_ Shaking her head, Kaede adjusted the volume on the keyboard and lost herself in the notes for a few hours.

The sun was starting to rise, and so were some students. Tenko was the first out of her room, and happily greeted Kaede and Angie.

"You know, back when I was still under Master's tutelage, it was always a lot colder outside in the morning!" Tenko started doing stretches, either oblivious or uncaring about the broken window in the lobby.

Kaede frowned in thought. "Hey, do you think that means that we aren't in America anymore?"

(The audience got a little upset. Wasn't Danganronpa supposed to be an authentic Japanese experience? Oh, but here's an author's note: I'm American, so I've just been using American lingo and terminology in regards to the school setting. Sorry 'bout that! Hmm... But as an in-canon explanation, let's just say that the main producers of Danganronpa V3 are American! Sorry Tsumugi, fuck your creative vision or whatever!)

"Yeah, I guess... Maybe we're on an island, and that's why no one's come to rescue us?"

"But... What kind of organization would have enough power to kidnap us and do all of this? I mean, we're all Ultimates, right? There's bound to be people looking for us!"

"That's right! If we just stay put, maybe we'll be found and rescued! But I think we'll be able to find an escape route soon, no thanks to the useless males!" With that cheery statement, Tenko finished up her stretches and jogged out of the student dormitories. _How the heck does Tenko do her morning runs in those weird sandals, anyway?_

As soon as she left, Keebo peeked his head out of his dorm room and double-checked to make sure the coast was clear. He trudged over to Kaede and Angie and sat down cross-legged on the floor.

"Kaede, would you mind if I, heh, tuned in?" Kaede nodded and turned up the volume a little before continuing to play.

Pleasant remarks complimenting her Ultimate Talent (and other not so nice greetings as well) were issued by the other students as the morning began in earnest. By the time the sun had fully risen, most students had already greeted her and Angie, some stopping to listen to her play for a while. Shuichi was one of the last to emerge from the dorm rooms, hurrying out with a quick wave at Kaede and rumpled hair shoved into his hat.

Just when her stomach was starting to growl, Kirumi walked into the dormitories carrying breakfast. With a grateful smile, Kaede accepted the steaming-hot food and began to eat and Angie finally opened up her eyes to do the same.

The artist was the one to take breakfast into Tsumugi's room. Kirumi left the remaining trays on the doorsteps to Miu and Maki's rooms before giving a polite bow to Kaede and Angie and leaving the area.

Himiko and Keebo walked in not long after she finished breakfast with Angie in silence. Kaede stood up and stretched out, stifling a yawn.

"I haven't heard a sound from Tsumugi since our shift started." She told the pair, "It's kind of weird, don't you think?" Keebo processed this information with a nod and Himiko just yawned and plopped down onto Kaede's chair. _I hope Keebo is polite enough to wake Himiko up if- **when** \- she falls asleep._

The pianist carried her new keyboard back to her room and left to explore the school.

_That's right, I should talk to Shuichi about his plans to explore the weapons lab._

However, before Kaede could walk far, a blue Exisal landed on the ground behind her. It messed up the landing, wobbling a bit on one leg before finally regaining its balance.

With a now-familiar distorted voice, it grumbled, "Hey, bastard! Hurry over to the gym now, or else I'll shoot you full of bullet holes, or something!" Kaede found herself rooted to the spot in fear, eyes trained on the very large and deadly machine guns within 10 feet of her.

The Exisal continued to complain, "I just wanted to get in a good half hour of bullying Monodam today! Is that too much to ask!? Now I gotta round up the rest of you maggots... Alright, get going, fuckhead!" The Exisal stumbled off, and Kaede still stood there, frozen.

_Monokuma really still does have total control of the school... But if we're sneaky, we can avoid the Exisals and escape... Right? Monokuma wouldn't kill us out of the blue, I think._

_No! I'm sure of it! We'll get out of here together without getting killed by the Exisals!_

Kaede headed for the gymnasium after taking a few moments to clear her thoughts. _For now though, I think I should just do what Monokuma wants. But I can't wait to give that bear what's coming to it!_

Most students were already inside the gymnasium by the time Kaede hesitantly walked in. Just like before, the students anxiously waited for the rest of the students to arrive, eyes trained on the stage and podium. _I haven't been in here since the day we came, it still gives me the creeps._

Finally, the four students who had stayed in the dorm rooms and Tsumugi walked into the gym. _That's all 15 of us. Rantaro was with us the last time I was in here, and now..._ Kaede shook her head and focused on the scene around her.

The Monokubs locked the double doors of the gym. The lights turned off. Spotlights shone on the podium on the stage, and Monokuma jumped onto the podium in all its black and white glory.

"So, I guess no one has killed our stupid Mastermind, Moogies, yet! That's a bummer... You guys are making your dear old headmaster so very sad... Gosh, this Killing Game is so boring!

But that's okay! I've got a motive for you guys to start killing, okay? When I call your name, come up here to grab a Kubz Pad! It'll be just like a high school graduation, except I'll give you something more awesome than a stupid diploma!

Everyone knows that public school education is definitely a scam, anyways... But I digress~ First up, Kaede Akamatsu!"

On unsteady legs, Kaede walked up to the stage, putting up a brave face for the rest of the students. All eyes were on her as she took the a hand-sized tablet from Monokuma with sweaty and trembling hands.

_How did Tsumugi manage to do this? Why couldn't we stop her from making another motive? How did this happen?_

The same thoughts cycled through Kaede's head during her walk back to the group of students. One by one, the 15 Ultimates were called up to take a Kubz Pad.

_I can worry about that stuff later. For now, I have to be strong for everyone!_

"Guys, let's all calm down before we panic, right? We can handle this situation just fine! Let's all agree not to turn on these tablets, right?"

Monokuma pouted. "After all the effort my darling, precious, amazing cubs took to prepare them? How cruel... Children these days don't appreciate what they have, I tell you!"

Kaede turned to Shuichi, who was standing next to her and clutching the Kubz Pad like a lifeline. "So, about the library's secret entrance..."

Shuichi shook his head mutely. "No, the dust by the card reader hasn't been disturbed at all. And besides, Tsumugi hasn't been out of her room... Unless there's a secret entrance in there that we don't know about. Um... But I guess we should definitely start monitoring her room with cameras, right?."

"Oh, the cameras. I almost forgot about those." Kaede's mouth suddenly turned dry at the thought of using the surveillance camera setup again.

Sensing her hesitation, Shuichi quickly added on, "Or, we could think of something else! I'll think of something by tonight, and let you know my plan!"

"Well, you don't have to! Shuichi, stop doubting youself- I think that using the security cameras again is a great idea!"

Angie, who had been talking to Ryoma nearby, instantaneously appeared right next to the two students. "Hey, hey! Are you thinking about monitoring Tsumugi?"

Kaede was about to defend herself, but Angie spoke loudly enough to turn the heads of the other students still gathered in the room and continued on. "Sorry, but I can't let you two plot something without Atua's divine prophet present! It's too dangerous, nyahaha!"

Korekiyo mumbled, "Tensions flare among our group... how will we emerge united? How exciting... How beautiful!"

Tenko shouted, "Stop trying to distract us from the main problem, idiot male! What are we going to do about the Kubz Pads and Tsumugi!?"

"Nee-hee hee... How do you guys know Tsumugi is the one behind the Kubz Pads motive? I mean, if I were you... I would consider the possibility that Tsumugi didn't make the motives. Maybe I made the motives! Hahahah!

Yup, I'm suggesting that maybe there's a second Mastermind in this school! Or am I? Maybe I'm lying, who knows!?" Kokichi's grin went up to his ears, sneering at anyone who dared make eye contact at him.

"Fucking Cockitchy! There's no way that there's... someone else here working with Monokuma...!" Miu's fake confidence disintegrated faster than usual.

Monokuma raised one of its hands. Immediately, all eyes turned to the bear.

"Oh, but before you guys start killin' Tsumugi, I got a pretty awesome gift for you bastards! You know how you've been missing some memories?

Well, I'm not gonna leave you guys hanging with amnesia for the entire Game! That'd be lame... So, without further ado...!" Monokid violently drummed against Monodam's head to create a drumroll sound effect.

"It's... The Monokuma File!

...Wait, wrong line. Man, all these key items mix together in my head after a while.

It's... The Flashback Light! It'll bring back what you've forgotten!"  
Monokuma pulled a heavy-looking flashlight-like contraption out from inside the podium. The bear flicked the light on...

Kaede's vision grew blurry. The room started spinning, so she squeezed her eyes shut and imagined one of Chopin's medleys playing to anchor herself.

<><><><><><><><><><>

When Kaede opened her eyes again, the gymnasium had disappeared. Instead, she was... outside? The sky above was blood red and clouded in smoke, and the stench of sewage and the metallic smell of what Kaede now recognized as blood was overwhelming. Screams, car alarms, and explosions sounded out all around her. Kaede's above-average hearing focused on a child crying in the distance.

Next to her was an incomprehensible- no, impossible- scene. Rantaro Amami was crouched behind an overflowing dumpster, sandwiched between two crumbling apartment buildings. A loud clamor strainged her ears, causing her to turn around. A faceless horde of people stampeded past the alleyway where Rantaro was hiding.

 _What in the world is going on? How is Rantaro..._ Before Kaede could get a closer look at Rantaro's crouched form, the world flipped upside down. Kaede fell **off** of the cracked ground, and landed...

Face down in a wet puddle. Kaede spat coppery liquid out of her mouth. She got up and looked at what she had landed in with a start. The entire front of her uniform was soaked in a dark red, and something- no, someone\- was lying in the pool of blood by her feet.

Maki Haruwaka stood staring at the body, not caring or not noticing the blood starting to stain her white sneakers. Kaede screwed her eyes shut again at the horrifying sight, feeling bile rise up the back of her throat. _What's going on? What did Monokuma do? What am I remembering?_

_**I don't want to remember this!** _

<><><><><><><><><><>

The sounds of the other students forced Kaede's eyes open. She was back at the gymnasium, feet planted firmly on the wooden floorboards. Kaede didn't trust her legs to hold her much longer, so she collapsed into a sitting position on the floor. Around her, Keebo was making distressed whining sounds, Gonta was openly sobbing, and Shuichi was clutching his head in pain. The other students weren't in much better shape- even Kokichi looked to be a little shaken up before forcing a smile onto his face.

After a few minutes of silence, Kaede decided that it was time for someone to take charge. And since no one else was speaking up...

"Does anyone else remember the **Ultimate Hunt**?"

Surprised looks were exchanged among the rest of the students upon hearing Kaede's question.

"So we all remember being chased by people after our Ultimate Talents, huh..." Ryoma murmered.

"Not just that. I also saw other people accompanying me in that memory just now." Kirumi diligently recalled, "I was with Miu and Maki in my memory."

"I was with Subichi Bottomhara and... Keebz... in mine...! What the fuck?"

"Tenko was with Himiko and Gonta!"

"Oh, but Gonta was with Kaito and Rantaro! But... Rantaro no longer with us now."

Kaede thought for a second. "Did anyone have Tsumugi in their memories?" Heads shook. Tsumugi shrank inside herself, avoiding the students' glares.

Shuichi suggested, "Could we have been running from the Ultimate Hunt together? Correct me if I'm wrong, but...

Didn't Rantaro mention the Ultimate Hunt before...?"

"Alright, Tsumugi! That's it! I, Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars, want answers, now!" Maki held Kaito back before he could punch Tsumugi in the face.

"It's not nice for a guy to punch a girl... Let me do it instead." Maki flexed her arm, muscle popping out, and wound her fist back.

Kaede spared a rare glare at Maki, "Isn't it more useful to ask her? I know we're all angry, but violence isn't the answer here!"

Kokichi snickered. "Save it, Ms. Shotput Ball."

"..." _He's not wrong. I don't deserve trust yet for what I tried to do. But still..._

Ryoma cleared his throat. "First, shouldn't we decide to do something about these Kubz Pads?"

"That's right!" Kokichi snickered. "If someone turns them on, then they may have an advantage over the other students when committing a murder! So we may as well turn them on as a group, riighht?"

"That's stupid, Kokichi! No one here wants to participate in this killing game, so we don't have to worry about that! Especially since we already know the person behind all of this!" Kaito declared.

"I've already decided! We're not gonna turn them on, EVER!" The astronaut growled, and threw his Kubz Pad onto the ground with a loud clatter for emphasis. _Kaito is brash, but he usually does the right thing with lots of confidence... He's very trustworthy. Unlike me._

Kirumi said, "That sounds reasonable. I will do this as well. After all, if we do not know its contents, we will not have a reason to kill. And if everyone agrees, I will keep Tsumugi's Kubz Pad for safekeeping. I do not believe I have enough trust among you all to take everyone's Kubz Pads...?" Kirumi's statement was followed by general murmurs of assent from the crowd. _Kirumi is always so level-headed and well-spoken. It's almost like she's used to leadership, unlike me._

"For now, let's all keep the same guard schedule as before, okay? I mean, Atua will find us a way out soon! So just pretend everything's the same as before, and everything will be all right!" Angie pointed at Himiko and Keebo, and as if on command, the two led Tsumugi out of the gymnasium. _Angie's the same as Kirumi. She has a natural charisma, and always kind of knows what to do... Unlike me._

As soon as Himiko and Keebo were dismissed, the rest of the students started leaving the gymnasium. Kaito picked up his Kubz Pad and called over Maki, Shuichi, and Kaede.

"Hey, so if you sidekicks don't feel comfortable keeping these things, leave 'em to me! As your leader, I'll take the burden off your backs!" The three nodded, and left the gymnasium in a group.

_There's safety in numbers. As long as none of us isolate ourselves, everything will turn out alright!_

<><><><><><><><><><>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this chapter didn't read as too much of a drag. This story segment is three chapters long, so... ah, with my posting schedule... Next and final daily life chapter will come up on New Year's Day! oh, but a death would kind of be a bummer way to start the New Year, wouldn't it? Oopsies. I love writing Miu, I really do. Kind of get carried away while doing it sometimes, though. Again, oops.


	7. Gossip and Tea, Or: The Ideal Pastime [2.A.3]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's take a look at what other students are doing. Kaede's having a crisis, so naturally she tries nosing in on other people's business instead of practicing self-care (don't be like Kaede, guys).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys haven't gotten too bored of listening to Kaede! Happy (belated) New Years, everyone. Let's make 2021 a great year together! Sorry for this chapter being delayed, my beta and I decided that it would be better if I rewrote a... solid portion of this chapter. I still have buffer, but winter break just ended for me so that might change. 
> 
> Uh, also this one is pretty long. If you're about to go to bed, I recommend that you read this chapter tomorrow! Get a good rest!

Tenko watched Himiko as she and Keebo stood outside Tsumugi's room (in a non-creepy non-stalkerish way, of course). It was hard for her to understand, but something about Himiko just... drew Tenko to her. Finally, Tenko worked up her fighting spirit and approached the two students.

"I've brought food for you, Himiko!"

"Nyeeeh, thank you. I do need to eat to keep my mana up, I guess..." Tenko blushed and wondered why she felt so warm inside after a simple gesture of appreciation from the mage.

"H-ha! No problem! Please stay safe during your shift, Himiko!" Tenko made to leave the dormitories.

"...and Keebo." She turned her head around and muttered as an afterthought. _Ever since Keebo politely refused my request to refer to him with female pronouns, it's been kind of awkward with him. But I'm not sure how I can apologize to him, or if I want to at all! Males are so hard to deal with!_

Shaking her head, Tenko went into her dorm to grab Richard and left the building, parakeet in tow. _With everything that's going on, now's not the time to worry about that kind of stuff! I may not be the smartest or the best leader, but I gotta do my best to take care of myself and everyone else!_

<><><><><><><><><><>

Maki clambered up the ladder leading out of the Death Road of Despair, the conversation of a couple nights before still tossing its way around in her head. _So... not in here, huh. At least I can check it off the list._

To her surprise, Kirumi was in the boiler room when she climbed out of the manhole. The Ultimate Maid faced away from Maki, leaning over the creaking yellow guardrails and precariously keeping her balance as she inspected the vines growing over the oversized water heater.

Kirumi mumbled to herself, oblivious. "When was the last time they inspected the safety of this?... Water contamination is a worrisome possibility indeed. How can I remedy this situation?" Her train of thought was broken when she finally noticed the other girl standing behind her.

"Oh, hello there, Maki. I did not notice your arrival." Maki, ever the amazing conversationalist, chose not to respond. Kirumi awkwardly cleared her throat, searching for a conversation topic (or at least some parting words).

"I was considering using some berries or mushrooms growing in the school for a type of homemade dish. Could you, perchance, help me identify any plants that contain toxins?"

Maki’s eyes narrowed. "Why would I know anything about-"

"I just noticed that you frequent the library, and I was wondering if you’d come across any books on the subject... Monokuma certainly seems like he would do such a thing."

"Oh." _If I had to go through this conversation for the **third fucking time** , I think I would genuinely snap._ "Well, now that you mention it..." She was pretty sure she remembered seeing a book on poisons that would help keep her cover intact if necessary.

Maki bent down and inspected the fungi. She was expecting to find one of the more common non-lethal species usually found in similar damp spaces, but...

With a gasp, she said, "This is... extremely dangerous. Um... I read about it in one of the books in the library, and it stuck with me since then- just one bite of it is enough to cause all sorts of internal bleeding and nasty effects. These are called **Sakuraoi mushrooms** , and are lethal unless administered an extremely rare antidote." 

_...I guess all that poison training stuck with me after all. Well, I'm not the Ultimate Assassin for nothing._

"How cruel... They must have been placed here for the very purpose of causing a murder. We will have to dispose of these immediately." Kirumi hesitantly checked the wristwatch hidden under her sleeve.

"Ah, but now it is time for me to make dinner. We will take care of this later today... if you will please accompany me to the dining hall?" She turned around as she left, staring expectantly at Maki.

_She clearly doesn't trust me not to take any while she's gone... At least I'm not the only one here with a sense of self-preservation._

She accepted the maid's offer and sauntered off after her, passing by the manhole that had its cover ever so slightly ajar.

<><><><><><><><><><>

Kaede yawned, stretching out a little before flopping onto the dorm room bed. The Kubz Pad lay inside a nightstand drawer, safely away from view. _If no one turns their Kubz Pad on, then we won't have a reason to murder each other, and then we can all escape the school together. As friends!_

She dragged herself under the covers, feeling drained. After the sudden announcement of the new motive and the memories of the Flashback Light, Kaede had meandered through the school and campus and made conversation with students passing by- she wanted to be extra sure that they hadn’t touched their Kubz Pads! Finally, she had retired to her Ultimate Lab for some calming key practice.

Having made herself comfortable, Kaede felt sleep tugging at her eyelids and drifted off to sleep...

**Ding-Dong! Ding-Dong!**

_Is that the Body Discovery Announcement!?_ She jolted wide-awake in a flash before finally realizing that it was the doorbell.

**Ding-Dong! Ding-Dong! Ding-Dong! Ding-Dong!**

"Geez, I'm coming, I'm coming! Who is it!?" Kaede threw off the covers and hurried over to the door's peephole, somewhat irritated. 

"Hey, Kaede! Get dressed! We're going to go train!!!"

Thanks to her above-average hearing, Kaede was able to hear Maki whisper-shout at Kaito, "Shut up, idiot! People are going to wak up!" 

"W-wait, we're going to be... training? What kind of training? Kaito, i-it's eleven at night!" _Shuichi, Maki, Kaito, and I... are going to be training?_

"Exercise, duh!! You need to be strong if you wanna be prepared for escape. Just like how astronauts need to go through tons of strength testing and exercise to be certified for space travel!"

Kaede quickly changed into her school uniform and threw open the door, almost smacking Kaito in the face,

"Oops! Sorry, Kaito! Anyway, I'm ready." _That was kind of mean, but I just couldn't help myself! Guess even I’m not above being a little petty sometimes._

The four students headed out of the student dormitories with a polite wave to Korekiyo and Kokichi, who were guarding Tsumugi's room. Like the night of Rantaro's murder, the night atmosphere was rather unsettling. No cicadas buzzed, and only the light came from a bright moon and the stark-white metal lamposts that illuminated the stone walkway.

Kaito led the way, and the four arrived at the brick raised platform deck by the courtyard staircase. Moonlight shined through the slats in the pergola roof. _This is such a romantic place. Ooh, I'm imagining it already, I could have a dance in the moonlight with-_

Kaede's thoughts were cut off by Kaito shouting, "ALL RIGHT! LET'S BEGIN! The first meeting of the Kaito and Sidekicks Training Group has officially begun!" His voice echoed, mini-Kaitos repeating the sentiment.

"First up! We're gonna do a million push-ups!"

Shuichi put his hands over his heart. "W-what? A million? Isn't that... a bit too much for our first ever session!?"

"Fine, then! Let's start with... One hundred. Even you two shrimps should be able to do that many!"

"I'm pretty sure that's more push-ups than I've ever done in my life," Kaede grumbled good-naturedly. She didn't really see the point of the training sessions, but supposed that it was a good way to bond with her fellow students- especially after the motives had been announced.

Maki dropped to the floor immediately and began counting her push-ups. "One, two, three, four..." _What the heck! That's so fast, it's inhuman!_ Shuichi and Kaede had little choice but to follow Maki's example.

"One... Two... Three..." Kaede and Shuichi panted in unison. Shuichi looked to be burning up in his tight detective suit, and Kaede's cotton sweater vest uniform was no better.

Gasping, Kaede said, "Haha... At least... You're as out of shape as I am!" Shuichi gave her a pained grin in response.

Kaede spared a glance at Kaito, who had been the most enthusiastic about his training idea and yet had dropped silent as soon as they had actually began training. He was doing modified push-ups, head tilted to the sky.

"You know," he mumbled. "I've studied star maps since I was just a kid, but the stars in the sky right now aren't familiar at all."

Kaede's arms finally gave out, and she dropped to the ground like a stone. The cold surface cooled her sweaty face.

"What do you mean, Kaito?" Shuichi had given up as well, mirroring Kaede's position on the ground.

"I mean... I memorized basically all the positions of the stars in both hemispheres, but none of these patterns look familiar at all."

That sounded familiar to Kaede. "Tenko mentioned that based on the temperature, we probably aren't in ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ anymore. That could be why."

(Who says that Team Danganronpa can't respond to audience criticism?)

"No, it’s more than that. When I say that I know the positions of the stars, I know the positions of the stars. I'm Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars! I'm definitely not wrong when I say that I've never seen these constellations before."

"..Huh? I wonder what the reason for that could be..." Shuichi took out his Monopad and started typing something. 

Seeing Kaede's confused look, Shuichi explained, "I've been logging suspicious things I want to look into in the Monopad. There's this helpful app called 'Truth Bullets'- it's pretty much an electronic notepad."

"Wow, that's amazing, Shuichi! Definitely what an Ultimate Detective would do!"

"Y-yeah." Shuichi blushed, putting the Monopad away.

"Ninety-eight, Ninety-nine, One hundred." Maki stood up and made to leave. There wasn't even a single hair out of place on her head. "I'm done here. Bye."

"What the heck!? Are you sure you're the Ultimate Child Caregiver, Maki? I mean, look at those huge guns!" Kaede joked, pointing at Maki's biceps.

"...What are you implying?" Maki scowled, and Kaede suddenly felt like she'd just made a huge mistake. The hair stood up on the back of her neck, and the temperature dropped twenty degrees.

"N-nothing! It was just a joke, Maki! Sorry!" She squeaked out.

"Good." Maki turned her back on the group and headed back to the student dormitory. _How in the world did Kaito even convince her to come train with us? Maybe she's secretly likes showing-off her body._

Kaede rubbed her arms awkwardly before getting back to her push-ups. "Alright Shuichi, let's, uh... get back to it." 

The two continued their push-ups, working late into the night and taking more and more frequent breaks. By the time they finally finished, it was nearly one in the morning. _I'm really going to be regretting this tomorrow!_

Shuichi graciously shook Kaito's shoulder. "Hey, we're all done."

"Five more minutes, mom..." Shaking her head, Kaede carefully removed his jacket and laid it on him like a blanket before dragging Shuichi back to the dormitories. Kaito was left snoozing away outside. 

<><><><><><><><><><>

Kaede woke up feeling sore. Not surprising, really, given that the pianist had always been too busy playing piano to explore the wonders of exercise and muscle development. The soreness in her shoulders that had appeared the morning after Rantaro's murder returned with a vengeance, spreading through her torso and arms. She sat up, immediately regretted it, and flopped back into bed, listening to the ruckus of students waking up and heading out for the day.

_No Body Discovery Announcement overnight... That means no one fell for Monokuma's motive. That's great!_

With great pain, Kaede finally got out of bed after an hour and moved to get ready. _Oh geez, with all that's happened, we weren't able to make much progress in our escape yesterday... That's alright! I'll definitely find a way out today!_

A renewed energy spread through Kaede's aching body as she powerwalked out of the dorms, heading for the dining hall. By the time she arrived, all the students, including Kirumi, were already gathered. Angie seemed to be in the middle of an energetic and bizarre speech on top of the dining table. With a sigh of relief, Kaede noted that all of the other 14 students were present.

"-and that's why Atua says we need someone else to go and check out the weapons room!" Angie finished up, beaming. "Oh, hiya Kaede! Thanks for joining us this blessed morning!"

Confused, Kaede sidled up to Shuichi and whispered, "What's she up to now? A-and, how did you get here before me?"

Shuichi turned red and wouldn't meet her eyes. "Well... Kaito dragged me out of my room. Literally. We were about to come get you, but then Angie, also quite literally, dragged us here...

Ah, we heard you moving around, so we knew you were fine and not... you know..."He must have noticed her face fall, so he quickly continued.

"Angie was talking about assigning someone to explore the weapons lab after my investigation turned up nothing useful... just to double check."

"W-wh- Isn't that a bit- no, completely- rude? I mean... you're the Ultimate Detective! If there was anything we could use in there to escape, you would've found it!"

"I told you, I’m really not some master detective... I mean, my detective skills already failed us once, with Rantaro. So it makes sense... I guess."

"C'mon Shuichi, you gotta stop beating yourself up over that! It's over and done with, so you just gotta move on, okay?!" 

_I could give the same advice to myself, but I've always been better at fixing other people's problems than my own!_

Pep talk over, Kaede tuned in to the conversation of the rest of the students.

"I think I'd be a great choice, nee-hee hee- I mean, as the Ultimate Supreme Leader I know aaallll about dangerous weapons!"

"Yeah, it's prolly cuz **your** weapon is pretty small. You'd want to see other guys' weapons, right?! I fucking knew it, Cockitchy!!"

"Wait, other guys here possess weapons?! What kind? Gonta thinks that could be dangerous!"

"Absolutely not, Kokichi. Even Tenko would be a better option than you. Miu, please be quiet. Gonta, do not worry about anything that comes out of Miu's mouth."

"H-heee! It was just a joke... It's prolly true though, don't lie."

"Whaaaat!??? Even Tenko? What do you mean by that!? I'm miles above Kokichi! Miles!"

 _This "discussion" is getting out of hand._ "How about me? I don't really have too much planned for today. And I wouldn't be too much help otherwise." Kaede cautiously suggested.

"Hmm... Atua says no!" Even though she suspected that it was coming, the directness of the rejection was shocking.

Kokichi beamed. "Sorry Kaede! Maybe next time, try not attempting to kill someone?" Kaede screwed her eyes shut, red-faced and ashamed. _Please... I knew why. You didn’t have to bring it up again! Why are you so mean?!_

"Ah... How about I do it? I have some space in my schedule." Kirumi cut in before Kokichi could continue. Kaede let out a shuddery sigh of relief and shot a glance of thanks to the Ultimate Maid. _I don't think we would have ever came to a decision without a **trustworthy** person like her volunteering._

Kaede didn’t even realize she was zoning out again until she suddenly felt a cold and heavy tap her on the shoulder. She jumped in fright, swiveling around to look at whoever-

"Kaede... could I please talk to you in private?" _Oh! It's just Keebo._

The robot stared at her blankly before his face suddenly turned apologetic. "...Sorry, I did not mean to frighten you."

"Oh, no worries! And, uh, sure!"

She did her best to ignore the kissing sounds coming from Kokichi as she followed Keebo out of the dining hall, wondering what the robot could possibly want.

They walked behind the school building and Keebo paused, still for a moment, as if trying to find the right phrasing for his words. "I just wanted you to know that I trust and forgive you. Even if Angie does not."

"H-huh? Keebo, what are you talking about?"

"Um... That is, when we talked a couple days ago, I never properly shared what I thought about what happened the night of Rantaro’s... death. I just wanted you to know that I forgive you!

You took a risk, but you were trying to kill the Mastermind and end the Killing Game for good. And I can’t fault you for trying to do the right thing!" He beamed a little too lightheartedly.

"Oh, uh... Thank you, Keebo. I appreciate it." It was a nice gesture, but Kaede really didn’t want to talk about this. She had been doing everything she could not to think about the stench of the blood and the smashing sound of the shotput ball and the sight of Rantaro's- _I can't do this-! I... should go._

As she began to mentally formulate an excuse to leave, she noticed that Keebo’s expression had turned... inquisitive. His artificial eyes seemed to pierce straight through her.

"But... your actions that day... **Do you regret them**? ...Even though Rantaro died, we were saved from certain death and found the Masterm-" The rest of Keebo's sentence was drowned out by white noise.

Unfamiliar dissonant notes of panic rang in Kaede's gut. Dread, sticky and black and tar-like, crawled up her stomach and constricted her larynx. 

Finally, she choked out, "I- Of course...!" Her heart beat arrhythmically, out of sync with her clashing thoughts. She clenched her fists, ignoring the feel of the nail polish against her palm. **Rantaro's nail polish.** _I... can't even think of him alive anymore...! All I see when I think of him is his body on the floor and-_

"I-I need to go!" Kaede bolted away, oblivious to Keebo’s concern.

_**Do I regret what I did that day?** _

<><><><><><><><><><>

Ryoma scuffed his feet on his lab's tennis court, pacing back and forth. Every so often, his eyes would flicker toward the professional-grade tennis net and ball serving machine.

_It's not cool to overthink something as simple as this. Either I play some tennis, or I don't. Do or don't... Do or don't..._

He was shaken out of his thoughts when a heavy-handed knock sounded from the door.

"Hello, Ryoma! Gonta was looking for you." The bug enthusiast had to crouch a little to fit through the smaller-than-average doorway.

"Why would you want to look for someone like me?" Ryoma narrowed his eyes, his question more acerbic than usual thanks to his stormy mood. "Is this about Monokuma's motive?"

"Er... Not at all! Gonta locked the Kubz Pad in his room as soon as he left the gym!" Gonta blushed a little, embarrassed. "Actually, Gonta was wondering... could you help Gonta with learning language? You are very good at speaking and saying the right things, Gonta thinks.

Oh, and in return, Gonta will play tennis with you! Because Gonta is very strong, he can probably keep up with the Tennis Pro."

_Well, when you put it like **that**..._

"That’s alright with me, but you don't need to pay me back-"

"No, no! Gonta insists! A true gentleman repays his debts." Gonta placidly smiled, refusing to back down. "Why don't we play some tennis now?"

Ryoma found himself still resisting on instinct. _But... Maybe playing tennis again will be good for me. And, after all, if capturing me was so important to the Ultimate Hunt, maybe I've got more reason to play than I think..._ Ryoma knew that his self-rationalization was shaky at best... but he didn't offer further protest when Gonta gently shoved a tennis racket into his hands.

"So, please! Teach Gonta the rules of tennis!"

"...Alright. First, I'll go over the court. It seems complicated, but it's actually quite simple to understand. Look here, this line splits the court into two halves..."

Thoughts about the murder motive hidden in the Kubz Pad, the Killing Game, and his blood-stained past faded from Ryoma's mind as his passion came flooding back- anything else could wait. For now, he would focus on tennis.

<><><><><><><><><><>

Kaede had found herself inside the Shrine of Judgement, breathing deeply and keyed into the sounds around her; the soothing rhythm of birdsong and the gurgle of running water helped calm her nerves. _This place really is just like a greenhouse... It would be nice, if not for- ___

__She cast a glance at the muscled Monokuma statue, standing just in front of the fountain housing the elevator to the trial grounds, and the air suddenly became suffocating. It pressed down on her warm and wet, freezing her in place in a cold sweat despite the warm temperature. The spiking sense of panic slowly settled into a general feeling of dread... The atmosphere in the Shrine of Judgement was suddenly unbearable._ _

___**Do I regret it?** _ _ _

___Why on Earth would Keebo ask me that? ...I’m sure he meant no ill-will, but isn’t that more like something Kokichi would say!? Maybe he was just curious but... something feels off... I hope he's doing alright! I was so focused on myself that I never even thought to ask!_ _ _

___I should get moving._ Kaede attempted to put her worries out of mind and opened the large red double doors, enjoying the bite of stinging wind that greeted her when she stepped out. _That's right, I have things to do today. We need to work towards escape!_ But when she took another step, her stomach grumbled in complaint._ _

___Did I miss breakfast? Shoot!_ Kaede checked the time on her Monopad: 12:48 PM. Surprised at how much time had passed, she hurried to the dining hall._ _

__**Click-clack, click-clack.** She took comfort in the rhythmic clack of her shoes against the cobblestone path. _There's always order and reason and safety in the world... I can't lose sight of that!_ _ _

__She slid the door to the dining hall open and immediately almost ran into Kirumi. Thankfully, the maid stepped to the side with lightning-fast reflexes._ _

__"W-Woah! Sorry, Kirumi. Hey, where are you going?" Kaede peered inside the dining hall- completely empty._ _

__"It is no problem. I was just about to deliver lunch to the absent students- that is, you, Miu, Ryoma, Tenko, and Tsumugi. That being said, now that you are here..." Kaede accepted the meal tray Kirumi handed her with a smile._ _

__"Hey, why don't you let me help out? You should be investigating the weapons lab, not doing all this stuff for us!"_ _

__"As the Ultimate Maid, my duty to take care of you all precedes everything else." Kirumi started walking away, but Kaede was hot on her heels._ _

__"At least let me help carry those! What if they fall?" She gestured at the swaying stack of dinner trays._ _

__"They will not." Still, Kirumi handed her a tray of food and the two set off toward the dormitories at a brisk pace. _Woah, carrying two at once is harder than it looks!__ _

__The Ultimate Maid headed over to Tsumugi's room to deliver her trays and Kaede looked around the dormitory for Miu's room. She found the nameplate and rang the doorbell, but heard no immediate response._ _

__Kirumi called out, "If she does not answer within the next thirty seconds or so, she is likely inside her Ultimate Lab. I will go and-"_ _

__Without thinking, Kaede said, "No, it's fine! Leave it to me, you've got better things to do!" Kirumi pursed her lips, but did not stop her. _As the Ultimate Inventor and all, Miu is pretty close with Keebo, right...?__ _

__Kaede stood on the threshold to the Ultimate Inventor's Lab. After a hesitant pause, she pressed the doorbell mounted by the door._ _

__After a moment, the door unlocked and swung open. "H-Huh? What'cha doin' here, Kaediot?" Kaede blinked as her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the lab. The bedraggled inventor hastily buckled the last strap of her bondage gear and Kaede took note of the slight darkness underneath her eyes._ _

__"Good afternoon, Miu. Hey, why didn't you show up to lunch today? Aren't you hungry?" Kaede held out one of the lunch trays with as large a smile as she could muster._ _

__The other girl just scowled, clearly irritated. "Whatever. Come on, what do you want!? My time is precious, you know!"_ _

__"Have you ever heard of pleasantries, Miu? Geez, I was just trying to be nice!" Miu shrank away made a whimpering noise, so Kaede continued in a gentler voice. "Hey, why don't we eat lunch together? It's no good to do stuff on an empty stomach, you know."_ _

__The inventor thought for a moment before resentfully beckoning Kaede inside. "Fine, I'll let ya' eat with me. For free, too! Lucky you!" She was back to acting just as brash as usual, but there was no sign of the usual unhinged grin on her face. With a casual sweep of her arm, Miu sent a stack of gadgets clattering to the floor and pulled up two stools._ _

__"I already cleaned up that nasty skin-eatin' chemical spill from earlier, so everything should be safe now!" More than a little concerned, Kaede silently obliged. The two sat in awkward silence for a moment before Kaede spoke up._ _

__"Miu, um... Is everything alright?" Kaede immediately grimaced at how blunt her question sounded and tried to rephrase, but Miu began cackling and didn't let her continue._ _

__"What's got you so worried? Buy a girl chocolate first before you try an' hit on her!! I bet you just want my huge-" She noticed that Kaede's eyes had narrowed and stopped. "...Ack, whatever. You're as fun as my fuckin' grandma. Some shit went missing from my lab recently, is all!"_ _

__"...What!? Someone stole something from your lab?"_ _

__"Just those stupid cameras you had me make! It's nothing important!" Miu poked at her untouched lunch with a single chopstick. "They prolly just stole 'em to go perv on the girl's bathroom! Ah-hahahaha..."_ _

__"Oh... Well, okay then, if you say so." _You would think that the Ultimate Inventor would be a little more protective of her inventions..._ In the wake of another extended silence, Kaede felt something in the back of her mind... gnawing at her, desperate for a little reassurance._ _

__"You know, I don't think I ever thanked Keebo for suggesting adding the microphone onto those things! How's he doing, by the way? ...I mean, you two are pretty close, right?"_ _

__"..." Miu averted her gaze and speared a meatball, splitting it in half with the force._ _

__"...H-Ha...Hah-hahahaha! He's doing just fine!" Miu's uneasy laugh turned into hysterical cackling. Finally, she wiped the tears from her face and pulled a wide grin._ _

__"Miu...?"_ _

__"...Oh, who am I kidding!? Fuck him! Also, fuck you!" She stormed off before Kaede could respond, aggressively kicking something on her way to the back of the lab._ _

__Kaede just sat there dumbfounded as clanking, banging, and a small explosion sounded from afar. "I fucking swear... If this got stolen too, I'm gonna find a way to turn every single sorry bitchface in this shithole into a glory hole toilet!" Finally, Miu came back with an odd contraption attached to a small plank of wood. _Is... that an antenna?__ _

__The inventor pulled out her Monopad and multi-tool knife from inside her uniform. She fiddled around with the gadget for a couple of minutes before somehow attaching it to the tablet._ _

__"Ya better not tell anyone what I’m about to show you, or I'm supergluing your lips to somewhere the sun doesn't shine," Miu ranted without taking a breath. "Cuz apparently, if you go poking around in this shithole too much or act suspicious or whatever the fuck, you'll get turned into guacamole just like Rantarhoe and I'm-"_ _

__"H-Hey! Alright, alright, I won't tell anyone! What are you going to show me...?" Kaede swallowed her anticipation and ignored the unbidden memory of Rantaro lying on the floor that came to mind. "...Is this about Keebo?"_ _

__Miu carried the device outside with a nothing but a scornful smile and turned the volume on her Monopad up. Kaede felt a sinking feeling in her stomach but tried convincing herself that everything would turn out fine... When she heard the static._ _

__"-sounds like a good idea, Angie." Keebo's voice warbled out._ _

__"Nyahahaha! Atua is happy you all agree~ The Student Council will make an official announcement tomorrow morning. Byeanora!" The signal broke off then, and Miu shut the Monopad off with a click before heading back inside her lab._ _

__"H-Hey, Miu... What was that?" A suspicion was forming in Kaede's head, but she wanted to confirm it with Miu first._ _

__"Your brain filled with fat, like your big fuckin' tits...? That was Keebo! Broadcasting an' sharing shit with the Mastermind. A-And not just sound, he also transmits video too! So don'cha worry about him, cuz he's prolly doing just fine... **AHAHAHAHA**!" Miu's laughter turned into a choked sob, and she turned her back on Kaede._ _

__"W-Wuh? There's no way... Keebo can't be working with the Mastermind... He would never-" Kaede sputtered, but the pieces were clicking into place. _Keebo... is a traitor? I g-guess...__ _

__"...Hey, why you telling **me** about this? Like you said, I... already tried to kill someone. How do you know I’m not working with Tsumugi too?" The words tumbled out of her mouth like arsenic before she’d even realized what she’d said._ _

__Miu snorted. "Isn't that obvious, shit-for-brains? Fuckin' Moogs tried to frame you at the first class trial, so you're literally the only person who's for sure trustworthy! Cuz she wouldn't try an' throw someone she's workin' with into the shitter after... only the first murder!"_ _

___That's right... If Tsumugi really is the Mastermind of this Killing Game, why would she try to kill us all at the start by framing me as the killer...?__ _

__Kaede took a deep breath. "That's a lot to take in... Okay! You can trust me with this! So... What do we do?"_ _

__"Don't worry, Kaed- Kaediot." Miu turned around, a rare serious expression on her face. "I, Miu Iruma, the Gorgeous Girl Genius with a Golden Brain, have a plan... So just sit back, relax, and let me save all of your asses!"_ _

__Kaede, reencouraged, pumped her arms. "Alright, that's the spirit! Let's do our best here!" In her excitement, Kaede wrapped her arms around Miu and threw her into a tight hug._ _

__"G-Get off me, hoe! At least pay me first before you try an' grope me!" Miu pushed Kaede off, causing her to land clumsily on the floor. She was blushing furiously and determinedly looking everywhere except for her direction._ _

__Kaede left the Ultimate Inventor's Lab as energized as she was panic-stricken from the revelation. _I definitely need to do something about this now! There's still so much we don't know, and if there's really more than one person working with the Mastermind... I need to know who I can trust. For everyone's sake, so we can all escape together!__ _

__< ><><><><><><><><><>_ _

__Kaede stood at Shuichi's door for a couple of minutes, considering the possibility that he simply wasn't inside, but the door finally opened._ _

__"S-Sorry, I was just taking a nap... I know that I should be looking for a way to escape the school, but-"_ _

__Kaede interrupted, "Don't worry about it, Shuichi! That's fine, cuz we can't do anything until Kirumi finishes her investigation of the weapons room anyway, right? How are you doing, by the way? I forgot to ask you earlier!" _Talking to Shuichi after talking to Miu is a completely different experience.__ _

__"Um... I'm doing fine, I guess. But I don't really want to talk about it. Thanks for being so understanding, Kaede... Um, was there something you wanted to talk to me about? Oh, sorry for my manners... Please, come in."_ _

__Shuichi's room was rather spartan. The only difference between Kaede and Shuichi's dorm rooms was an odd-looking multi-level shelf with mini-sized Monokumas on it._ _

__"Hey Shuichi," Kaede asked, curious, "What's with that shelf?"_ _

__"Uh... Monokuma says that if I collect all the Minikumas hidden around the school, he'll give a big prize. I... dunno about that, though. I just pick them up if I spot them."_ _

__"Got it! I'll be on the lookout for them too! Maybe we can get an escape tool if we collect them all? Oh! Let's tell everyone about them tomorrow, okay?" Kaede sat down on the coffee table, and Shuichi followed suit, sitting down on one of the loveseats._ _

__"Sure thing, I guess... Kaede, is everything all right? You seem a bit... Uh, I don't know. Forget I said anything, sorry!"_ _

__"Oh. I did learn something just now, but I promised her I wouldn't tell anyone... Sorry!" _Could Shuichi be working with the Mastermind too?__ _

___I can't think about that! For now, I just have to focus on what I can do!_ _ _

__"Tenko and Ryoma have guard duty until six. I think I can convince them to let me go into Tsumugi's room and ask her a couple of questions. I don't agree with Angie's 'no interaction with Tsumugi' policy at all!"_ _

__"..."_ _

__"I just wanted to tell you my plan, so we don't repeat the... situation with Rantaro." _That's right, I have to learn from my mistakes, or else someone else could die!__ _

__"I-I think that it's a good idea, Kaede. But, um... no, never mind. I'm done doubting myself, I'm sure you'll get some answers out of her!"_ _

__"Alright! Thanks, Shuichi! I'll go right now, actually." Kaede stood up and left Shuichi's dorm room. She tried to psyche herself up, and went over the plan in her head._ _

__First, she ran over to the dining hall to grab the meal Kirumi was most likely preparing. To her surprise, a meal was already laid out in the kitchen, steaming hot. Next to the meal tray was a small sticky note. In precise handwriting, it read: "For Tsumugi." _Oh, that's right! Kirumi went to investigate the weapons lab, so she probably made the meal ahead of time in case her investigation took longer than usual. She's always so prepared!_ Kaede bunched up the note and, not seeing a trash can around, stuck it in her pocket. _ _

__(The camera feed cut out and the screen turned to a commercial about the terrible effects littering had on the environment.)_ _

__Shaking her head clear of her thoughts, Kaede carried the tray of food over to the student dormitories, being careful not to spill any of the soup in the bowl. She approached Ryoma and Tenko, eyeing their postures to gauge the mood. Ryoma was slouched on a loveseat, and Tenko was doing wall sits with a concentrated pout on her face. _Well, they're not at each other's throats, so everything seems to be going good!__ _

__"Hey, you two!"_ _

__Ryoma looked at the tray Kaede was carrying. "It's only 5... That's pretty early for Kirumi to be making dinner, isn't it?"_ _

__Tenko paused, jumping up from her position. "That's right! Is there something wrong, Kaede? You can tell me!"_ _

__"Actually... no, never mind. Sorry, I was thinking about lying to you two just now. The truth is, I wanted to bring Tsumugi dinner and ask her some questions, cuz she could be willing to help us." Tenko raised an eyebrow. "I mean, Monokuma was about to kill her that night, right? And we just locked her up without asking her any questions, so..."_ _

__"Shuichi thinks it's a good idea, too," she hurriedly added on at Ryoma's dubious look._ _

__Ryoma grunted, "Do what you think is best. I'm all for talking to Moogs to get some info out of her, just don't do anything stupid, alright? It would be uncool if something bad happened... to either of you."_ _

__Tenko slowly said, "You don't have to listen to what that male has to say! Kaede, I don't think that's the best idea... But, as much as I hate to say it, Shuichi is definitely smarter than me!_ _

__And, more importantly, you always try and do the right thing... So... I guess I'm fine with it!" Despite what she had implied, Tenko wholeheartedly agreed with Ryoma's opinion._ _

__Kaede was surprised at having gotten their acceptance so easily. _Well, there goes the speech I had prepared._ Tenko opened the door for her, and Kaede entered Tsumugi Shirogane's dorm room. _ _

___It looks practically the same as before, when we had that "sleepover". Well, why did I expect it to look any different?_ _ _

__"Be careful, okay?! Call for help if you need me!" Then, Tenko muttered, "...Ryoma too, I guess."_ _

__"Tsumugi. I need to talk to you." Kaede set the dinner tray down on the coffee table and sat down in a plastic fold-out chair. _This is Rantaro's killer, and I want her to see justice. But I have to keep calm!__ _

__"Give us a hint about how to escape this Killing Game, please."_ _

__Tsumugi squinted at Kaede and pushed her glasses up. "Pardon?"_ _

__"I said, **tell us how to escape the Killing Game**! Or at least tell us who the other students working with you are!" _ _

__The _former?_ Mastermind pouted and looked at her fingernails. "Hmm... Nope, I don't think I will. And wherever did you get the idea that I have an accomplice?"_ _

__Kaede fumbled and dropped the chopstick she had been absent-mindedly twirling around. "H-huh? Wasn't Monokuma gonna kill you? Why won't you help us?" Unbidden, the memory of Tsumugi's "After School Lesson" came into her mind. Kaede suppressed a shudder._ _

__The Mastermind tapped her chin and said, "Yeah, I guess it really was going to kill me, but who cares?" Then, she muttered, "Everything is still going according to plan. I still have control."_ _

___Control? Over what?_ _ _

__With a frown, Kaede probed, "Are you sure about that? I mean, you can't even leave this room right now. And no one's gonna fall for your stupid Kubz Pad motive either!"_ _

__Tsumugi put a hand over her mouth and poorly covered her giggle._ _

__She looked over at the dinner tray, frowning at the provided meal. "Those better be rice noodles. Just so you know, I love rice noodles, but I hate shirataki noodles, Kaede!"_ _

__Kaede rather childishly stuck her tongue out at Tsumugi. "Well, too bad! I'm not gonna get you rice noodles if you don't help us!" Tsumugi stayed silent, so Kaede spitefully stuffed a mouthful into her mouth as she stomped out. _Whatever! I hope I made my point clear with her... Maybe I should get Gonta or Maki to question Tsumugi tomorrow. They're a lot more scary than I am.__ _

__Kaede shook her head at Tenko and Ryoma upon exiting. "No dice."_ _

__Ryoma looked thoughtful. "I suppose we'll have to rely on ourselves and our Ultimate Talents in order to escape."_ _

__Tenko pumped her fists in excitement, shouting, "That's right! I can use my Neo-Aikido skills to perform an all-out attack on Monokuma and the Exisals!"_ _

__"Well, I'm just a pianist- I don't think I can do a lot when push comes to shove, but I'll try to help everyone as much as I can!" Kaede wandered out, thoughts running wild._ _

___What's Tsumugi planning? How's Miu holding up? What's the deal with Keebo? Who else is working with the Mastermind? If Kirumi isn't able to find an escape tool in the weapons lab, what's our next step? And how can I get Angie and Kokichi and everyone else to trust me again?_ _ _

__Feeling dizzy under the weight of all her thoughts, Kaede returned to her dorm room. She collapsed onto her bed and fell asleep before she knew it._ _

__< ><><><><><><><><><>_ _

__Miu woke up to the doorbell ringing again. And again. And again. She stiffly raised her head from its uncomfortable position on a lab table and cracked her back before finally getting up. By the time she looked somewhat-presentable, the sound of the incessant doorbell chime had been augmented by the pound of heavy-handed knocks._ _

__" **Fuckin' hell**! I'm coming, damnit!" The banging on the door finally stopped, leaving Miu with nothing but a growing headache._ _

__"...Huh? What do you want? Ya' need something to help you beat your meat? I bet you're so strong, you come close to tearing your dick off whenever you... Never mind. Why are you here?" Seeing Gonta's bewildered look, she stopped and huffed. _Guess there's no point tryin' to joke around with someone that doesn't appreciate my mastery of words.__ _

__"U-Uh... Your lock broke and Kirumi can't get out of the weapons lab, so Gonta came to look for you so that you can open the door!"_ _

__"Yeah, yeah, whatev- Wait, what!? No invention of mine would break! It's obviously some other fuckwit's fault!" Miu's high-heeled boots retracted and she sprinted toward the school, ignoring Gonta's cries of protest._ _

__"Please, wait! A gentleman walks the girl to her destination!"_ _

__After a few minutes of all-out running, Miu waved her Monopad in front of the lock and stepped to the side gasping for breath just as the lab door came flying open._ _

__Kirumi ran out, skidding to a halt to briefly say, "Head over to the dormitories, please. I will cook dinner for all the students and be there for my guard shift as soon as I am able to." Then, she sprinted away with all the grace her uniform would allow, narrowly dodging a confused-looking Gonta._ _

__"Still can't fucking believe my invention broke... No way in hell! The gorgeous girl genius doesn't make mistakes!" After a minute of sulking, Miu ignored Gonta hovering nearby and begrudgingly headed downstairs as well. _Fuck! Got better things to be doing, anyway.__ _

__< ><><><><><><><><><>_ _

__Gonta cautiously made his way around the kitchen, making sure not to knock over any fragile pieces with his movements. Finally, he found the box of tea bags he had brought to the kitchen earlier that day. In practiced motions, he placed the tea bags inside the pot and poured a boiling pot of water inside. He folded his hands and watched tea steep with a satisfied sigh. _Nothing is better than a cup of tea after an exciting day!__ _

__He hummed a childhood tune as he walked out of the kitchen, stopping in surprise when he almost ran into Kaede in the doorway._ _

__"Oh. Hi, Gonta." Kaede mumbled and let out a long and indulgent yawn. "Sorry, I was just gonna go grab something hot to drink before the dining hall closes."_ _

__The entomologist smiled kindly and held out the tray he was holding. "Gonta just finished making some tea, if you would like to drink it!"_ _

__"Oh..." Kaede stared at it for a moment, eyes glassy and unfocused, before smiling. "Yeah, I'd love to, if it's no trouble! Woah... That's a big teapot..."_ _

__"Gonta drinks a lot because he is so large! But you can have some! It is not a problem for a gentleman like Gonta." Gonta carefully took out another teacup and poured some tea for Kaede. She smiled in thanks and plopped down on a chair with another yawn before taking a long sniff of the tea, sighing in satisfaction. _I'm happy that she likes it! Tea brewing is a hard art to perfect.__ _

__He was about to leave the dining hall to return to his dorm when he stopped to reconsider, remembering his encounter with Miu earlier that day. He hesitantly asked, "Can Gonta walk you back to the student dormitories?"_ _

__"...It's fine, you should go and get some rest. I'll be right behind you, I just want to finish drinking this tea first... I'm still half asleep, I don't want to spill it!" Kaede smiled apologetically before taking another long sip from the cup._ _

___A gentleman knows when to leave someone alone._ Gonta nodded, bidding Kaede good night before heading out._ _

__< ><><><><><><><><><>_ _

__Tenko woke up invigorated. "Who's a good boy!? You are! You're a good boy!" she cooed. Richard the parakeet squawked, and Tenko took out a handful of the questionably-named "Danganbird food" (now with 16 vitamins and supplements!), letting Richard eat out of her hand. Then, she put on her school uniform and Monokuma-approved modified exercise sneakers (the New Converse 99992 XL Air Pros, in stores today!) and headed out for her now-routine morning run._ _

__On the veranda, she saw Kirumi and Ryoma peering through the windows, looking inside the dining hall._ _

__"Good morning, Kirumi! The dining hall doesn't open until 8, right?"_ _

__White as a sheet, Ryoma turned around. "Kid, that's exactly the problem." He blinked rapidly, gesturing for Tenko to walk over. A sense of dread honed by her years as a street vigilante started to form. Kirumi was stayed silent, eyes trained on something in the dining room. As she approached, the scene in the dining room resolved itself._ _

__It was right in front of her eyes, but Tenko couldn't believe what she was seeing. A figure, sitting- no, slumped over- the dining table. The head resting in a puddle of blood, eyes closed in what was certainly not sleep. Tenko averted her eyes, focusing on the flower-patterned pink tea cup placed innocuously close to the figure. The body. The tea cup. The table. The puddle of blood._ _

___No, I can believe what I'm seeing. But I don't **want** to believe what I'm seeing._ _ _

__Kirumi finally turned away, fists clenched and eyes squeezed shut. Ryoma took deep breaths but couldn't stop himself from staring at the body._ _

__He was the first to speak. "How could this happen? We all agreed to escape this school instead of participating in the Killing Game... Did we not?"_ _

__**Ding-Dong Dong-Ding!** _ _

__Monokuma appeared on a monitor. "A body has been discovered! Everyone, please head to the veranda by the dining hall! Oh, this will be so much fu-" Tenko ripped the monitor off its stand and stomped on it. Again, and again, and again. Glass shards caught in her socks and maybe her legs but it didn't really matter._ _

__" **Shit**!" _ _

__The other students had arrived at the scene. There was a commotion as they shoved each other out of the way in an attempt to see what was going on._ _

__During it all, however, Kaede Akamatsu's body remained unmoving._ _

__< ><><><><><><><><><>_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, guys. Bear with me here, I know what I'm doing! No seriously guys trust where I'm going with this I- although, if you were reading this rewrite purely for Kaede... oops! Stick around, please... I promise things will get interesting. Deadly life will kick into action next week at our regularly scheduled time (probably). If you have any guesses on what happened, let me know!


	8. How do Flies Breed, Anyway? [2.B.1]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Investigation time. Himiko doesn't have enough thoughts, and Shuichi has way too many. And Korekiyo, well... his thoughts are just dramatic as fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epic Kaedead moment! Sorry, I've always wanted to make that joke, and it's a bit too out of character for Miu to say right now. Anyway, please enjoy this chapter! Sorry for the delay. Actually, wait, I'm not sorry, cause I tried my best to make this chapter as good as possible. Umm.... Enjoy!

"Despite these circumstances, I'm happy to have met everyone... I'll always treasure that."  
\- Kaede Akamatsu

<><><><><><><><><><>

Korekiyo Shinguji liked to think of himself as a sentimental man, one with a deep appreciation for the beauty and value of human life, and so the news of the death of Kaede Akamatsu deeply saddened him. he had been a wonderous demonstration of the beauty of the human race and been a positive, hopeful force for the students during their time at the Academy. Truly, she was a treasured classmate, and it broke his heart that she was no longer on the mortal plane of existence.

But Korekiyo kept all feelings of grief sealed firmly behind his mask, for his duty as the Ultimate Anthropologist was to simply observe. And observe he did, as he watched his fellow Ultimate Students' initial reaction to Kaede's death. Surprise and disbelief melted into grief and grief boiled into anger and motivation, a rare blend of hope and despair mixing together into the delicious Molotov cocktail of the human condition.

Tenko had stopped taking her emotions out on the monitor, and was now standing stock-still in a pile of broken glass, wiring, and blood, but it was evident that she was still seething with grief and rage. Kaito's usual boundless energy seemed to disappear for a moment before reemerging as a guttural growl. Keebo simply kept glancing at the body in horror, blinking rapidly in disbelief before briefly looking away. And yet, in the grief-stricken eyes of each student that arrived on the scene, the small spark of something brighter seemed ready to ignite... the ember of justice.

The anthropologist hugged himself tightly, savoring the moment. Yes, Kaede's death was as tragic as a couple of careless youths starting an all-consuming forest fire in the dry season. But in the aftermath, buds would rise from the ashes and growth would begin anew. The forest would be reborn, newly pure and cleansed of evil! But for now... it was time to grieve for the lost. Or it would have been, if Korekiyo had his way.

Monokuma ignored the students' reactions and trampled over the distraught atmosphere of grief and loss with a jolly shout, "Alright kids, since you guys finally killed someone, I'll give you a lil' present! You guys usually aren't allowed to enter the dining hall so early in the morning, but for this investigation I'll allow it!" Monokuma flailed its arms, dramatically gesturing at the door. The students remained frozen, the only movement coming from the rivulets of blood dripping down Tenko's legs. Finally, Shuichi took a few shaky steps into the dining hall.

"Shuichi, wait up!! I've got your back, remember?!" Kaito dashed after the detective, and the sudden movement startled the rest of the students into action. Maki and Ryoma stalked after him, and Kokichi strolled in behind them. After a moment's hesitation, Kirumi shortly followed, her movements stiff and disjointed. Angie grabbed Himiko's arm and yanked her along, so naturally Tenko trotted behind her as well. Keebo placed a comforting hand on Miu's shoulder, but she brushed it off and stomped inside, Keebo having no choice but to trail behind her.

"I suppose we should go in as well." Korekiyo held the door open for Gonta and gingerly took a few steps beyond the threshold. He walked closer to the main group of students and stood there, simply observing the scene.

"..." Shuichi stared at Kaede's body. "I... Why? Why her, Kaito?" Korekiyo felt as if he was intruding on a private conversation, so he tuned them out and returned to observing the room. _Ah, it seems as if Angie wants to speak._

"Okey dokey, everyone listen up!" Angie clapped her hands, bringing everyone's attention to her. "Okay, who killed poor Kaede over here? If you don't confess, I'll just hafta ask Atua!" Unsurprisingly, no one said a word.

Korekiyo was the first to move after, gracefully stepping toward Kaede's body. "...Shuichi, may I?" All the detective offered in response was a weak nod before averting his eyes. Korekiyo sent what he hoped was a comforting smile in his direction before pulling Kaede's body upright into a sitting position.

As the Ultimate Anthropologist, Korekiyo was no stranger with seeing faces of the dead. Although they shared some similarities to popular culture depictions of the deceased, there was an otherworldly quality of death that few mainstream artists and writers managed to achieve. Frighteningly enough, tear tracks of blood ran from Kaede's eyes and had stained her hair red before pooling on the table. A cruel sight indeed. Korekiyo shuddered; the fact that someone you had shared a meal with not one day before would now never eat again was... incomprehensible.

Seconds passed into minutes, some of the braver students approaching Korekiyo's spot to look at Kaede's body as well.

Kirumi averted her eyes from the body and said, "Tenko, I should really be taking a look at your legs now." She seemed to have gathered herself and showed no further signs of grief on her face.

"I may be in extreme pain right now, but I can handle this myself! Go help investigate instead!" Tenko limped toward the warehouse; Himiko ran to catch up with her.

The veranda door opened in the commotion, and Tsumugi stepped inside. She started cackling as soon as she caught sight of the body, but quickly put a hand to her mouth and stopped when everyone whirled around to look at her.

"...Why is everyone looking at me like that? I just found it kind of ironic, don't you think?"

Maki yanked Kaito back by the jacket sleeve before he could even think about punching Tsumugi and hissed, "Why the hell are you here?"

"I'm a student here now. So it's plain to see that I can't miss out on all the fun group activities. Why, do you not trust me?"

"Alright. While we investigate the murder..." Kirumi's voice cracked when she spoke. "We have to do something about Tsumugi."

Keebo bowed his head. "We should keep her under close watch to make sure she doesn't try and derail the investigation." The obvious fact, that Tsumugi was likely the Mastermind of the Killing Game, went unsaid.

"Maki, Keebo. I trust you two to guard Tsumugi for this investigation? I believe this is still your guard shift, after all."

"...Right. Let's go to the dormitories, I guess." Maki tugged Tsumugi out of the room, and Keebo trailed behind after a quick glance at Kaede's body.

Kirumi cleared her throat, bringing everyone's attention away from Tsumugi. "I will investigate the weapons room for the time being and check to see if there is anything missing. After all, I investigated it just last night." Korekiyo considered volunteering to accompany her. _Kirumi is always so calm and logical compared to some of these students, so I suppose it makes sense that I feel a natural kinship with her. It is a shame she is always so busy with her duties, because I believe I would enjoy talking to her more often._

"I'm coming too! I n-need to check out that fucking door lock, anyway!" _Ah. Never mind, then._

"I'll stay here and guard the body. Won't be of too much use during the investigation, anyway." Ryoma's face was carefully blank.

"Gonta thinks he will stay too, then. Gonta will do at least one thing right today...!" Gonta's face, on the other hand, was carelessly emotional.

While everyone else was distracted plotting out their investigation plans, Korekiyo noticed Kokichi slink toward Kaede's body. _If that fool is planning to tamper with... No. I will give everyone the benefit of doubt until I have reason not to._ Korekiyo watched, eagle-eyed, as Kokichi picked up the jarringly dainty teacup next to Kaede's body. He took a long sip before Korekiyo could even think about moving to stop him. _A dangerous move... Why would he put himself at risk like that?_

Korekiyo raised his hand, and the movement attracted the attention of those still in the dining hall. "I will be going to investigate now. Kokichi, please accompany me." Korekiyo was not trained in mystery solving, but piecing together clues to solve unanswered questions was what made his study of anthropology so interesting. _Perhaps I will participate in this investigation after all, if only to polish my skills as the Ultimate Anthropologist... And discover what Kokichi is doing. I am sure I am not the only student who finds him suspicious._

"Huh? How come? Aw, am I in trouble with the teacher? Okay, let's go, then." Kokichi pouted, innocently stepped away from Kaede's body, and followed Korekiyo out of the dining hall.

As soon as they were a safe distance away from the others, Korekiyo sharply spun around on one heel and turned to face Kokichi. "Would you care to explain what I saw in the dining hall just now?"

Kokichi crossed his arms. "If I pretend not to know what you're talking about, or ask about your personal life, can I avoid answering the question? That works with most of the kids here!" He edged to the right, and Korekiyo smoothly mirrored his motion, blocking his path.

"No."

Kokichi started playing with his checkered scarf. "Fine, then. I promise I'll tell you later! But first, let's go investigate and find whoever killed Kaede with the power of friendship and teamwork! That's what she would want us to do, right? So, where do we start?" The smile plastered on Kokichi's face remained for a second too long.

Korekiyo decided that understanding Kokichi was too straining a task and chose to take his words at face value. "I believe it could be useful if we surveyed Tsumugi and Kaede's rooms. Perhaps it will give us a clue."

"Ooh, visiting the victim and the Blackened's living space! Great idea, Korekiyo.

..That's a lie, of course! I don't think Moogie-Woogie would kill someone, even if she is the Mastermind of this Killing Game. Which we don't even know for sure yet, by the way!"

In the dormitory lobby, the pair saw Maki, Keebo, and Tsumugi. Mutual distrust lined their faces, and the mood worsened after Kokichi immediately started to antagonize all three of them. Korekiyo grabbed Kokichi by his scarf and dragged him away before he could do any more damage, tugging him toward what used to be Kaede's room. _It used to be the temporary residence of a living, breathing student. Now, all it will function as is a reminder of what we have lost to this terrible Killing Game._

The melancholy Korekiyo felt when entering the room was immeasurable. Despite the sparse furnishings, the room still felt like it belonged to Kaede. From the tidy bed to the electric keyboard, the room inexplicably held a tangible measure of life. And now, the Blackened had robbed everyone of this beauty! Terrible. And absolutely unforgiveable. He had felt the same way after his sister's death, and the same way after Rantaro's death. _No one has the right to take away such beauty from this world._

_Will we emerge from this winter storm stronger than before and ready for the bountiful bloom of spring? Or will we crack under the frost of despair and succumb to the cold? The choice is ours... Ah, humanity's power is truly amazing and humbling._

But for now, Korekiyo Shinguji would simply observe. It was his duty as the Ultimate Anthropologist, after all. Watch, listen, learn... act?

<><><><><><><><><><>

Tenko bit her lip when the sting of disinfectant hit her wound. Shoot, that hurt! Himiko was dozing on an excercise mat nearby, a rather comforting presence. Suddenly, the warehouse doors slammed open. Tenko nearly dropped the bandage roll she was holding at the noise and turned her head to see Kaito and Shuichi walking in.

"Hey!" She shouted. "What are you two doing!? Shouldn't you be finding out which degenerate killed Kaede?" Shuichi pursed his lips and cast his eyes downward. He checked the warehouse inventory log and headed over to a shelf, looking for something. _Did I put it too harshly? Those two seemed close, but all Shuichi needs to get going is some motivation, right?! ...Well, he's a male, so I probably don't need to worry about his feelings._

Kaito raised his voice to match Tenko's. "We're just looking for some stuff, Tenko!"

"What kind of stuff?! Now's the worst time to be vague!" Tenko did not trust Kaito one bit, and not just because of his gender. Maybe it was his awful facial hair?

Himiko tugged on Tenko's sleeve cuffs woefully before sitting up. "Please stop shouting, Tenko," she mumbled.

"Sorry!" she whisper-shouted.

"Found it, let's go." Shuichi kept his face blank and held up a jar of some sort of powder.

"Nyeeh, so what are you gonna do with that?" Shuichi jumped a little at hearing the unexpected voice.

Kaito didn't miss a beat and clapped Shuichi on the back. "It's gonna be useful for the investigation, Himiko! Shuichi will use it to figure out which shitstain murdered our friend in no time flat. Alright, detective! Let's get going."

As soon as they had left, Himiko leaned back and flopped back down onto the excercise mat she had been laying on.

"I keep wondering... Why would someone kill Kaede? She was always so nice... Nyeeeh, it's too much to think about all at once. I think I'll just go back to sleep." Himiko closed her eyes, and true to her words, appeared to be fast asleep within the minute.

Tenko frowned and studied Himiko. _She's right. Kaede always said that everyone, even the guys would escape the school together. I can understand if some students don't like me because of my bluntness, but... why would anyone want to murder Kaede? She's done nothing but try to help everyone. She didn't deserve this at all! And now, thanks to the Blackened... we'll all have to fight for our lives at the Class Trial. I hate all of this!_

_Why couldn't we have just escaped together, like Kaede wanted? Now, the only thing we can do is..._

"Hey, Himiko, don't you think that we should be investigating?" Tenko whispered, but Himiko didn't stir. Louder, she said, "Can you use your magic spells to find the Blackened right away?" Still no response.

"C'mon, we should be doing our best to figure out what happened, for her sake!" Tenko reached out to shake Himiko's shoulder, but she sat up and gently pushed away her hand.

Himiko seemed to be choosing her words carefully. "I don't want to investigate, cuz then I'll have to accept that Kaede is... Well, I never wanted to be part of any of this, Tenko! Not the Class Trials, not the Killing Game.

So... please, just let me sleep a little longer. Cuz in my dreams, everything is alright." Himiko rolled over on the mat so that her back was turned to Tenko. _Huh? Is that it? We really have completely different ways of thinking!_

"Ack- Tenko is so sorry for making you feel sad! Please, forgive her!" _I've always had trouble putting myself in the shoes of others! And now I've hurt Himiko's feelings..._

In the middle of her thoughts, Angie walked in with her hands crossed behind her back. Himiko's eyes flicked open again, and she was instantly alert. Like a light switch!

"Nyahahaha! Don't worry about me, you two! Hey, whatever you're doing over there, just know that Atua is always watching over you, okay?" Tenko worked to wipe the scowl that had crept across her face; just like Kaito, Angie rubbed her completely the wrong way.

"Hey, that's creepy! I hate perverts!" _If I ever find this Atua dude, I'll kick his ass into the next decade!_

Tenko offered a hand to Himiko, but she ignored it and stood up while asking, "D-does Atua watch me when I go pee?"

Angie gasped. "Whaat? Atua would never spy on you without a reason. And besides, why're you saying it like it's a bad thing? ...Who cares if someone watches you go to the bathroom?"

"U-Um, is Atua on the government watch list for being a Peeping Tom?" Himiko slowly backed away from Angie and left the warehouse.

The artist spun around, arms still behind her back, and stared at Tenko as she followed Himiko out. "Okey-dokey! See you girls at the trial!" She caught a glimpse of a metallic object held behind Angie's back, but before she could crane her head to look at what Angie was holding, the warehouse doors slammed shut.

"I'm... I'm gonna go to my room to take a nap." There was a lot Tenko wanted to say in response, but she was never really the best with words. Instead, she expressed all her positive emotions by pulling Himiko into a tight hug.

"I'm going to go look for clues, then!" Tenko sprinted down the hall before Himiko could see the blush forming on her cheeks.

<><><><><><><><><><>

The walk upstairs was silent, leaving Shuichi alone with his miserable thoughts. The fingerprint powder jar was slick with sweat in Shuichi's hands, and he nearly dropped it more than once. Too many things had happened this morning... Kaede's failure to join them for their training session had been explained, and Kaito's annoyance at Kaede's apparent "flakiness" had quickly turned into regret. Just thinking about it... If Shuichi had checked the dining hall last night while they were training, would he have seen Kaede's body? Her murderer, even? The static... noise in Shuichi's head started to increase, flies buzzing inside his skull.

Flies! Inside him! He imagined them buzzing around Kaede's body as well. No one to stop their infestation. If Ryoma and Gonta saw flies swarming around her body, breeding and laying eggs and eating at the decaying flesh... would they have the heart to swat them away? ...Well, Gonta wouldn't, at least.

Flies... like the thoughts buzzing inside him... What were the students thinking about him at this moment? He could imagine it already: a moping student, a terrible friend, a weak person. A failure of a detective! Sweat and flies and gossip and static and the body and the Killing Game and the Blackened and, oh- they were on the third floor already.

Shuichi tugged down his cap, focusing on the scene in front of him. "Miu, can I uh... see the door lock? I want to test out a theory I have." _And knowing my detective skills, it'll be proven wrong..._ Miu sat cross-legged on the floor and was twirling around a sharp knife in her hand. The dissected locking mechanism to the weapons lab lay in her lap.

"Hey, Twinkichi! Just the person I wanted to see... not! Fuck off, can't you see I'm busy here?" she all but growled.

C'mon, girl! Just give us the lock for a sec and Shuichi will find the Blackened! Right, Shuichi?" _I don't want to disappoint Kaito, but I won't be able to find the Blackened from just this. Especially since I don't exactly know how this lock works._

Miu scoffed and looked down. "I'm not talking to someone who has more hair than brain cells."

Kaito frowned. "Don't insult me like that, I spend a long time getting my hair ready each day... And I'm super smart! I'm basically an astronaut."

"Hee- It was just a joke, moron... F-Fine, just let me finish up, go bother Hoejo for now!" She jerked her thumb toward the weapons lab.

With a dramatic sigh and eyeroll, Kaito grabbed Shuichi's hand and dragged him into the weapons room. The room hadn't changed a single bit since the last time Shuichi had entered, and he still had no clue who the lab belonged to. _Some detective I am._ Meanwhile, Kaito tried not to gape at the sheer amount of lethal items in the room. _Ah, that's right... He's never been in here before._

(Kaito wondered if Maki could actually use a bazooka. That'd be fuckin' badass.)

Kirumi was bent over and methodically checking through each shelf of the weapons lab. Then, she stood up and brushed the hair out of her eyes and addressed Kaito and Shuichi.

"I have not seen anything out of place in the weapons lab so far. I will check one more time, but I fear that this endeavor will be pointless- during both of my investigations, I found not a single drop of poison."

"Hey, don't say that! Nothing is pointless as long as you try your best, Kirumi!" Kaito was quick to offer encouragement.

"Wait, Kaito- the Monokuma file said that the cause of death is poison, and if there isn't any poison in here... That means that the weapons lab wasn't used for murder. A-and apparently, there are no other wounds on the body as well... so I don't think the weapons lab was involved here at all." Shuichi flipped through his tablet before tilting it toward Kaito.

Kaito thought for a second, than winked and waggled his pointer finger at Shuichi. "Yeah, don't worry sidekick, I was just testing you'! Gotta get your brain all warmed up before the trial, right?!"

"...If not from this lab, where did the Blackened get the poison from?" Kirumi was deep in thought. "Ah... hmm, I do have material that may help us on this matter. I will be back as soon as possible." Her heels marked her quick exit from the room.

"Kirumi, wait, what... U-Um, at any rate, Miu should be done with the door lock now, right-" Kaito pushed Shuichi out of the room before he was even finished with his sentence.

Miu sneered at them as they walked out. "What, were you guys trying to get a lil' peek of Kirumi's goods or something? She ran out of there faster than an hourly prostit-!"

"Hey, that's enough! Just give Shuichi the lock already!"

"Eep! Calm down, space dick! A-And I was gonna share something **interesting** with you, too..." Miu pointed at her Monopad, which was connected by cable to the electrical lock. Shuichi took a look at the screen.

Day 0  
5:49 PM

Day 2  
1:12 PM

Day 4  
3:46 PM // 5:41 PM

"See here, Shyhara? This is the lock's audit log! It's s'pposed to record the time whenever someone fingers the lock button. And it says here that the room's been locked four times since I've installed it!"

"A-and... what does that mean? ...Is this about when Kirumi got locked in the weapons room yesterday? Er, that's a good catch. Thanks, Miu."

"Abso-fucking-lutely. Everyone's been sayin' that there was just a malfunction with the locking mechanism, but lookin' at the log, someone **clearly** locked KiruMILF in there on purpose!"

Kaito said, "I don't get why the number of times the door's been locked is so important. Can you explain it to me, sidekick?" He looked at Shuichi expectantly.

"Oh... I'll try my best. So, the first time the door was locked was when it was first installed. We know that the door was locked after I went into the room to investigate its contents... and Kirumi locked it after her investigation, too. That means that there's one time the door has been locked that's unaccounted for. It must have been when the door was locked at 3:46 PM on Day 4, right?" _That's weird, and too suspicious to be a coincidence..._

"S-See? When I want, I can be helpful and intelligent and amazing and also beautiful! You're welcome!"

Shuichi frowned and took the jar of fingerprint powder out of his coat pocket. "Thanks, Miu. I can confirm your log's results with this-"

"Bah, shut up, I don't give a shit! I gave you help, so all you better find out who the killer is at the fuckin' trial! I'm too sexy to die like Kaediot and Rantarhoe! Gah, it's prolly that flat-chested bitch- what was her name again? Right, Shittygane." Miu tossed the locking mechanism at Shuichi and stomped away, muttering something dark under her breath. _...Could Tsumugi really have been the Blackened? Everyone else has been saying that, and there'd be no reason for another student to murder Kaede of all people, but..._

Instead of worrying more, Shuichi decided to twist open the bottle and sprinkle some of the dust onto the lock button. The reflective black plastic surface of the lock would easily produce evidence of fingerprints, even with the rudimentary and somewhat ham-fisted method he was using.

Shuichi blinked. The dust settled. Then, he blinked again, making sure his eyes weren't screwing with him. _...Huh?_ There were only two prints on the lock.

Kaito peeked over Shuichi's shoulder. "Hey, aren't there supposed to be four fingerprints on there? The audit log said that the lock was used four times... What happened?"

"There's probably a defect with the powder... or maybe the fingerprints got wiped off somehow. And maybe... Miu could be lying about the audit log results?"

"Hey, no way! Why would she do that?"

"Kaito, we're in a Killing Game here. Even if we don't want to think about it... It's definitely a possibility. That Miu-"

Monokuma soared out of the weapons room with a backflip. "I'm gonna stop you right there. There's nothing wrong with that fingerprint powder!!! It's the latest in the Detectiving for Dummies© set, so what you're seeing is the truth! There were two fingerprints and two fingerprints only imprinted on the lock. And that's the truth!" The bear somersaulted back out of the area.

(Detectiving for Dummies©- With 4 easy payments of $24.99, you'll be a veritable Kirigiri™ in no time. Impress your crush! Become the envy of your enemies! Wow your friends! Become your very own Ultimate Detective from the comfort of your room! ...The possibilities are endless.)

_Four locks, and two fingerprints... What does that mean? If I can even trust Monokuma... I need to find out._

_For Kaede's sake... and everyone else's, too!_

As if on cue, the monitors around them lit up. Monosuke had his feet propped up on the table and was slurping greedily at a bowl of caviar.

"Alright, bastards! The investigation period is over, so youse better head over to the Shrine of Judgement for the trial! Attendance is mandatory, got it?"

Monokuma appeared in the camera view and violently shoved Monosuke out of the rolling chair he was lounging in. "I **said** to wait at least another hour before starting up the trial, my darling Kub! If you want to inherit my wealth and become a tech mogul through labor and loophole exploitation, you gotta be a good boy and check the time. Oh well. What's done is done. Woo, trial time! Cya l8ter, sk8ters!"

Shuichi frowned. Trial time already? It seemed as if barely an hour had passed since the discovery of the... victim. Kaede.

Kaito balled up his fists. "All right, Shuichi! Let's go right away! Let's beat the Blackened and expose the truth at this trial, together!"

"Right. Let's go..." _The truth... The truth behind Kaede's murder. Yes, we **have** to find the truth...!_

One foot in front of another. With nothing to do but walk toward his doom- no, to the trial- Shuichi heard the flies buzzing behind him. He imagined them flying closer and closer and closer into his ears, his nose, his mouth, his eyes. Burrowing into his skull, like they were surely doing to Kaede at the very moment! Where were Ryoma and Gonta? Were they making sure Kaede's body wasn't being disturbed? The flies filled his head with words and white noise and oh! So much sound.

One foot in front of another, and Shuichi and Kaito _and the flies_ entered the Shrine of Judgement. Shuichi pulled his cap down and the movement caused the flies to fly away, gone for now. The room was buzzing with activity, the flaps of wings from the birds in the trees accompanied the murmurs of the students standing around. _Birds caged in this greenhouse... Students caged in the academy... How interesting._ Shuichi's mind wandered.

Kaito talked at him, but he couldn't seem to concentrate on the words. Something about there only being thirteen students present? Someone was missing. He nodded in response on instinct, but couldn't find the energy to process Kaito's words.

Out of the corner of his eye, Shuichi saw the flies approach him again amidst all the activity in the room. But suddenly, stone shards flew in all directions. The Monokuma statue in the center exploded and the flies left Shuichi alone (for now). Water soaked in through the soles of his shoes, and the elevator to the trial grounds finally appeared. The doors slid open and the students silently filed in.

Just as they were about to slide shut, a hand shot its way in and the doors abruptly stopped before opening once again. Maki Haruwaka shoved her way into the elevator. Kaito made to hug her in excitement, but she lithely ducked out of the way. Shuichi thought absentmindedly, _ah... So that's what Kaito was talking about earlier._

It seemed to be an unofficial rule: no talking in the elevator. Instead, there was the tapping of feet, the rapid intake of panicked breaths, and the buzzing of the swarm of flies. Shuichi felt his stomach drop as the elevator car began its downward descent. Trying to tune out all other distractions (the flies!), Shuichi turned on his Monopad and jotted down a short summary of his investigation notes. Tap. Tap. Tap. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

_My detective skills failed me... I didn't get enough time to fully investigate Kaede's murder. Everyone will have to pool their findings together to find the culprit..._

The elevator car slid to a stop. The wire cage door shuddered open, and the students stepped out into the Class Trial arena. Mercifully, the swarm of flies stayed inside the elevator. The purpose of the Class Trial was to solve a mystery; Shuichi Saihara was now supposedly in his element. Why didn't he feel any different? Where was the surge of adrenaline, the sudden burst of confidence?

_She said we would all get out of here together. And despite her words... the Killing Game has claimed its second victim. But... Why Kaede, of all people?_

_Now, all of our lives are on the line. A deadly battle... and no First Blood Perk to protect the blackened this time._

_...If my detective skills lead us to the truth during this trial... someone among us is going to die here today. And if my detective skills are wrong once again, well..._

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soon after, I'll post a short "appendix" chapter detailing the truth bullets found during the investigation. Then, next week(?) the trial will begin! It is two chapters long. Thanks for reading, everyone~ Oh, and I think I'll keep to a Monday posting schedule from now on.


	9. Trial Preparation [2.B.X]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's the promised truth bullets! And a quick recap of what's been going on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way... Some of these truth bullets may have some inaccuracies to them. And maybe some bullets are just straight up useless! Judge the evidence with caution.

**Truth Bullets**

**Monokuma** || **Monokuma File #2** >>  
The victim is Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist. The victim's body was discovered in the dining hall at 6:26 AM. The time of death is unknown and the cause of death was poison. There is blood coming out of the victim's eyes, but otherwise there are no wounds present.

 **Tsumugi Shirogane** || **Tsumugi's Account** >>  
Tsumugi talked to Kaede on the day before the murder.

 **Gonta Gokuhara** || **Gonta's Account** >>  
Gonta shared the cup of tea he had brewed with Kaede Akamatsu in the dining hall sometime after dinner. After drinking a cup, Gonta went to bed. Kaede said that she would follow after finishing her cup.

 **Korekiyo Shinguji** || **Korekiyo's Account** >>  
Korekiyo saw Kokichi take a large gulp from the half-full teacup on the table next to Kaede's body.

 **Korekiyo Shinguji** || **Tsumugi's Room** >>  
No secret passageways were found in Tsumugi Shirogane's room.

 **Korekiyo Shinguji** || **Kokichi's Account?** >>  
Kokichi seems to know something about the murder...

 **Kokichi Ouma** || **Crumpled Note** >>  
A sticky note was found in Kaede Akamatsu's trash can in her dormitory. In neat print handwriting, it reads, "For Tsumugi."

 **Kirumi Toujo** || **Fun Fungus Murders and You!** >>  
A rather morbid reference book with information on various exotic poisons.

 **Kirumi Toujo** || **Weapons Room Investigation** >>  
There was no evidence of any change in the weapons lab in the time period between her first investigation at around 5:30 PM yesterday and her second investigation at around 8:00 AM today.

 **Kirumi Toujo** || **Malfunctioning Door Lock** >>  
The door in the weapon's lab slammed shut and locked behind Kirumi, trapping her inside. After a while, Gonta heard Kirumi banging on the door and fetched Miu to unlock the door. Miu insists that the lock would not have malfunctioned.

 **Kirumi Toujo** || **Dinnertime** >>  
As soon as she was released from the weapons lab, Kirumi immediately rushed over to the dining hall to prepare dinner for all 16 students. Kaede was unusually absent from the table, so her dinner was delivered to her door. Later that night, the dinner tray was gone. It was assumed that Kaede retrieved the tray and ate dinner alone in her room. 

**Miu Iruma** || **Door Lock Audit Log** >>  
According to the audit log, the door has been locked four times since installation. Timestamps are included, with "Day 0" representing the day Miu installed the lock:

Day 0  
5:49 PM 

Day 2  
1:12 PM

Day 4  
3:46 PM // 5:41 PM

 **Miu Iruma** || **Door Lock Specifics** >>  
Anyone can lock the weapons lab door from the outside by simply pressing the "lock" button on the doorknob with their pointer finger, but only Miu, Shuichi, and Kirumi were authorized to unlock the weapons lab with their Monopads. 

**Shuichi Saihara** || **Door Lock Fingerprints** >>  
Shuichi dusted the door lock mechanism and found two fingerprints on the lock.

 **Maki Haruwaka** || **Maki's Account** >>  
Upon inspecting the victim's body, Maki realized that the cause of death was asphyxiation. Puzzling enough, blood had come out of the victim's eyes. This is a likely symptom of poisoning, which matches up with the cause of death listed in the Monokuma file.

 **Maki Harukawa** || **Poisonous Mushrooms** >>  
Maki told Kirumi, and Kirumi alone, about the mushrooms in the boiler room. The two disposed of the mushrooms the day before the murder during dinnertime.

 **Angie Yonaga** || **Yesterday's Guard Schedule**  
An abridged version of the guards in charge of guarding Tsumugi is as follows:  
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM  
Tenko and Ryoma  
6:00 PM - 2:00 AM  
Miu and Kirumi  
2:00 AM - 10:00 AM  
Maki and Keebo

 **Angie Yonaga** || **Camera Shots**  
Angie gave Monosuke some photos to be developed. They're in a manila envelope sealed with a fun, flashy gold sticker.

<><><><><><><><><><>

The story so far. Don't take this part too seriously, it's just here to refresh your memory.  
Listening to his inner voice, Keebo suggests the addition of an audio recording device to Miu's security cameras. Although Rantaro still suffers an untimely demise and the hands of Tsumugi, Kaede is saved from execution at the first trial. But since justice isn't real in this terrible, terrible world, Tsumugi does not die in her stead. Instead, she claims the First Blood Perk mid-execution in hopes of escaping the school... but is instead forced to remain at the Ultimate Academy for the foreseeable future. 

Was Tsumugi the Mastermind? Most likely. Is she still involved with Monokuma? Well... That's a little harder to figure out. Maki's probably secretly been making some headway on that, I hope. Speaking of Maki, Kaito finds out about her real Ultimate Talent and uses it to blackmail- uh, I mean coerce and convince- her into joining the training gang (tm) with Kaede and Shuichi. Man, aren't they best friends? It would be awful if this burgeoning friendship was split apart... Angie assigns guard shifts to watch over Tsumugi. Kaede feels guilty about her attempted murder that segued into *actual* murder. A couple of new school rules are instated.

Motives are introduced and the Flashback Light is used. No one's gonna fall for the motive for sure though, cause everyone promised that they wouldn't turn on the Kubz Pad! ...Hahaha. On another note, Tenko got a bird, Shuichi's feeling suck-y, Ryoma's dealing with stuff, Gonta's trying his best to help, Kokichi is making a mess, and Angie seems to have self-appointed herself as the group leader even though Kirumi's the one that ends up breaking up most of the arguments and doing everything. Miu finds out about Keebo's broadcasting abilities and tells Kaede, who really still is feeling kind of hung up about that whole shot put deal (understandable, really). Kaede goes to talk to Tsumugi, takes a nap, goes to the dining hall and has some tea with Gonta, and- erk.

Victim: Kaede Akamatsu  
Blackened: ???  
Survivors: 14

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just gotta proofread the trial and it'll be up by Monday... uh, probably.


	10. Ropeway Murder 2: The Ropening [2.B.2]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trial begins. Golly gee I wonder who our sly, crafty, sneaky lil' Blackened is!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry-not-sorry that this one is late, I'm built different. This trial will be either 2 or 3 chapters long. If you have any real preference, just let me know, otherwise I'll do what I want.
> 
> If you see any typos in this one... um... no you don't! Because I never make mistakes!!~!111
> 
> I don't think I'll bother putting minigames or whatever in these trials, because logic is stupid enough as is to write. Writing mysteries would probably be easier if I wasn't a stupid bitch! No scrum debate in this one, but there will probably be one next chapter idk.

Everyone filed into the trial grounds. Light filtered through the stained-glass mosaic, but the air in the room was sticky and oppressive. 

The Ultimates took their place at the podiums. Monokuma droned on about the rules of the Class Trial, but it seemed as if few students were actually listening to the bear. Finally, Monokuma pulled out a gavel and ceremoniously banged it twice.

Class Trial #2: The murder of Kaede Akamatsu  
**ALL RISE!**

Shuichi's lip quivered, but he spoke first with a trembling voice. "Before we begin, I need to make sure... No one turned on their Kubz Pad, right? No one knows what the motive is?" 13 students nodded, and he sighed. "Well... I guess we can ignore it for now.

..." He seemed to be at a loss for words, and an uneven beat of silence hit the courtroom. It seemed as if the Ultimate Detective did not want to start off the trial in earnest, and no one else appeared willing to begin the discussion either. It was understandable, really!

Gonta, who had been quiet since the investigation had started, finally broke the silence with a pleading shout. "Gonta does not care about motives. He just wants to know who here killed Kaede! Please, tell him now!"

Kokichi's eyes darted around the courtroom, trying the gauge the emotions of the other students. "Why, it's Tsumugi, of course! After all, she's the Mastermind of the Killing Game! Why wouldn't she kill poor Kaede?" Kokichi's eyes brimmed with tears. Tsumugi tilted her head and smiled, but said nothing to defend herself.

Tenko scowled. "That's what I thought at first, but if Kokichi says it's Tsumugi... It's probably not actually her. That's what my Neo-Aikido senses are saying!"

Kokichi tapped his chin. "We~ll... what if there was a secret passageway in her room? All ultimate leaders and masterminds have them, y'know. She could've just left through there."

 **Korekiyo || Tsumugi's Room** >>  
Korekiyo spoke deliberately. "Kokichi... you were there with me when we searched Tsumugi's room. We thoroughly searched through every nook and cranny, and yet we found no such thing. Surely you recall this?"

"Yup, I totally do, now that you mention it. Oops, I must've forgotten. I really was so distraught over Kaede's death..."

Tsumugi wondered aloud, "How closely did you look through my room? Did you find my, eheh... 'special magazines' under the mattress? ...That type of stuff could really ruin someone's career, y'know..." No fewer than five students shot her a withering stare. 

"At the very least", Korekiyo drawled, "your... literature... was helpful in reminding me why I study anthropology- and not modern society. Keheheh."

Keebo cleared his throat and tried to get everyone's attention. "W-well... Tsumugi's, er, pleasure hobbies and innocence aside, we should work on clearing out the suspect list... At the very least, we know who didn't kill Kaede, right?"

Kokichi tilted his head. "Huh? Did you brain short circuit or something? How can we know for sure, Keebot?"

 **Angie || Yesterday's Guard Schedule**  
"Maki and I were guarding Tsumugi last night from 2:00 AM to 10:00 AM, so we can be each other's alibis. We can rule us out as being the Blackened, because we know the murder happened during that time."

"No." Kirumi chose her words carefully. "Sorry, but if my suspicions are correct, I do not believe we can. To explain why, we must look at a different question: How did Kaede's body end up in the dining hall this morning?" Maki knit her brow and muttered something dark under her breath. Angie heard it, but chose not to repeat what she had said.

Tenko shouted, "I know! The Blackened prolly snuck up on her Neo-Aikido style. Then he killed her while her back was turned this morning and left her body in the dining hall!"

Miu matched Tenko's shouting. "There's only one bitch here that knows Neo-Aikill-whatever, Chabashitty! You saying you killed Kaediot!?"

"I don't think it was Neo-Aikido that killed her... Nyeeeh, I bet it was magic. Maybe they killed Kaede and then teleported her body into the room somehow..."

"...Wuh!? Are you saying you did it, Donkey Lips?"

Shuichi sighed and rubbed his eyes. "...Kirumi brings up a valid point," he said while ignoring the other girls. "The way the body was moved into the dining hall is suspect... According to the school rules, the dining hall is closed from 10 PM to 8 PM. So a student shouldn't be able to enter the dining hall during that time."

"So the Blackened found a creative way to put Kaede's body in the dining hall after the murder to throw us off their trail, right!?" Kaito beamed when everyone's attention immediately turned to him. "See, I can be smart, too! Maybe they smashed in a window, tied a rope from a tall tree to a chair inside the dining hall, took the body and rode the rope line down to the dining hall along, which allowed them to send the body into-"

"Kaito... Um- That, uh..." Shuichi found himself at a loss for words.

"I... A ropeway? That is certainly one explanation- although it is a tad too convoluted to consider. We found no evidence of such a contraption in the crime scene, anyway.

...Shuichi, Kaito. Have you considered that perhaps Kaede was inside the dining hall when she passed away?"

"But then, when nighttime came around, wouldn't Kaede have been breaking the rules by being inside the dining hall? ...Unless- No, that- Well, if she was...-

Kirumi, are you suggesting that Kaede was dead before nighttime- before 10:00 PM- last night? And that her body was left inside overnight?"

"It is a possibility we must consider."

"Well... That must mean, then, that her-" Shuichi gulped. "-Her body must have been in the dining hall overnight. And... b-bodies won't- since they're- you're implying that they won't be in violation of the school rules, and that's- that's why the alarm didn't ring?"

"Monokuma, can you confirm this for us?"

"Dead bodies are just objects, silly! They don't even come close to qualifying as a student participating in the Killing Game. Cuz they're dead!" 

Keebo opened his mouth and Monokuma cut him off. "And yeah, you're not an object, K1-B0! I don't practice robophobia..." He nodded mutely.

"...So just to double check, we think that Kaede died before 10:00 PM last night and her body was left in the dining hall overnight. Great job, Kirumi!"

"Doesn't narrow down where she died, though... Or how she died." Ryoma hesitated. "Shouldn't we be looking into that suspicious cause of death?"

"I think it would be too difficult to figure that out for now. Unless someone- say, for example, the Blackened- wants to tell us now that they know the exact method of murder?" Korekiyo folded his hands and waited patiently. "...What a pity."

"Alright. We need more information, then." Shuichi ran a hand through his hair before putting his cap back on, and looked at the rest of the students somewhat expectantly. "Who saw Kaede last night, and at what time? That way, we can narrow down the- the time of death." 

Once again, no one spoke. The energy in the courtroom was much more subdued compared to the first class trial.

"I was in my room nearly all day..." Shuichi finally said. "If only I had just... stepped out last night, if only for a little while before training. Maybe then, I could have-"

"So, did no one seriously see her at all last night?" Kaito cut Shuichi off before he could continue.

"No, that's wrong." Kirumi reluctantly said. "At the time, I thought nothing of it, but now... If I had simply done a better job of monitoring all the students, perhaps I could have stopped the murder from happening. How terrible to know that I have failed in my duties as-"

A wadded-up piece of paper smacked Kirumi straight in the face. Shuichi flinched away from the aggressor. Miu ranted, "Get to the fucking point! Stop throwing a pity party when you already work harder than a girlboss who runs her own 24 call girl busine-"

 **Kirumi || Dinnertime** >>  
"Kaede was not in attendance during dinner, so I left a tray of food at her room during my guard shift, sometime after 6:00 PM. By the time most of the students had entered the dormitories, I saw that the tray was gone. Do you see now? I was the last person to see even a hint of Kaede last night, so her death is my responsibility."

Korekiyo frowned, about to say something, but was interrupted by the sound of Gonta slapping his chest. He was doing his best to look straight ahead- not to look at Kaede's death portrait to his left, or Rantaro's death portrait on his right. 

With a booming voice that was surely supposed to sound encouraging, he said, "Do not worry, Kirumi! Gonta remembered that saw Kaede late last night, so he thinks that you are innocent!"

"The fuck?" Maki muttered.

"Don't say the 'F-word', Maki! Atua's gonna put soap in your mouth when you die."

"Ew... Soap tastes pretty bad, even if it has pretty colors..."

"Please shut up. Let Gonta speak, he's been waiting for you guys."

 **Gonta || Gonta's Account** >>  
"Thank you, Kiyo, but Gonta can wait some more!" But everyone's eyes were trained on him already.

Gonta blushed at the attention and spoke. "Gonta was brewing some tea in the kitchen when Kaede come in. So he gave some tea to drink to Kaede!"

Nobody spoke. But in an instant, the mood in the courtroom chilled and Gonta's podium jerked to the center of the courtroom. "Wuh-What just happened?"

"That's not important... Please continue. What exactly happened afterward, Gonta?"

"Well, then he felt sleepy, so he went to bed. Kaede said she want to stay in dining hall and rest, so..." Gonta knit his brow. "Why does everyone look so angry at Gonta?"

"Maybe it's because you smell bad?" Kokichi suggested. Then, he brazenly said, "Or maybe it's because you're obviously the one that murd-"

"Oh, Gonta understands why everyone is mad now! They think Gonta is a failure as gentleman because he didn't walk Kaede out of the dining hall! Gonta will try his best to improve, then!" 

No one seemed willing to advance the conversation or explain the situation. Finally, Ryoma spoke up.

 **Monokuma || Monokuma File #2** >>  
"That's not it. Gonta. The Monokuma file states that Kaede's cause of death was poison. You were the last person to see Kaede alive, and you gave her something to drink."

"Liii~kee I was saying, you probably slipped poison inside of Kaede's tea. And then, bam! She died!"

"Why would Gonta do that? He tried his best to be a gentleman and tried his best to help Kaede!" Gonta pulled out a handkerchief and wiped away the tears forming in his eyes.

Angie announced, "Atua says that Kaede died of poison before 10:00 PM last night in the dining hall. Her body was left in the dining hall until it was discovered in the morning. Everybody, say thank you to Atua~"

Himiko let out a noise. "Hey, that's what I was gonna say... I knew that with my magic already..."

"Hngrk- kid, it isn't mag--" Ryoma stopped himself short. "We knew this information already."

Tenko shouted, "There really was a cup of tea next to Kaede's body! Well, that confirms it. I guess Gonta really is just like all the other degenerate males!"

Keebo said, "So... Gonta is our main suspect because he both was the last person to interact with Kaede and gave her something to drink? ...Okay. That isn't the strongest evidence, but..."

"What? Please, stop! Gonta not that smart, but he thinks he didn't kill Kaede, honest!"

Shuichi, who had been nearly silent, said, "Well... Like everyone's saying, this seems like a pretty open and shut case. Let's just vote for Gonta and end this already..." He absentmindedly tapped on the now-blank voting screen on the lectern.

Ryoma turned to look straight at Shuichi and narrowed his eyes. "Hold on. It's not like you to be so sure of things..."

"Gonta doesn't really seem like the kind of person to do this, Shuichi. I know I should trust what you say because you're my sidekick, but... I dunno, something about this whole thing seems kind of off!" 

"There's... no other explanation, and the facts match up here... Gonta was probably trying to trick us with using poison, expecting us to think he would use brute force to commit murder. So-" 

"Wait a second. Shuichi, **slow down,** and think." Korekiyo's bland tone carried a heavy weight. "First of all, based on your experience, do you really believe Gonta to be capable of a crime as base as murder? Secondly, as the Ultimate Detective, wouldn't you rather explore this case in deeper detail? 

I suspect that there is more to uncover... Better safe than sorry, after all. We need to know the identity of the poison and how it was obtained. Only then can we determine whether or not Gonta is truly the culprit of the case.

There is another thing to consider... With so many intelligent students present in the school, it would be foolish for someone to attempt murder this early on in the Killing Game, since they would need to fool everyone at the Class Trial. Unless, of course, the Blackened believes themselves capable of outwitting the most intelligent among us. Kehehehe... Shuichi, we have yet to prove your innocence!"

Shuichi ducked his head, cheeks turning a distinct bright red. "S-Sorry... Yeah, that makes sense. I'm just..." He trailed off, yielding the floor to the rest of the students.

"Glad we're all in agreement, then." Ryoma continued, "If no one has any idea where the poison was obtained, does anyone have alternative ideas on possible suspects?

"Ooh, I have a good one~ Maybe Maki found out that Kaede killed a child before coming here so she killed her in revenge! And she doesn't want to look suspicious, so that's why she's not talking." Kokichi whistled and leaned back from the lectern. "Well? How's that for a lead?"

Maki exhaled sharply through her nose. "Don't go around making wild accusations. I've been trying to piece together what I found when I checked Kaede's body and the facts of the murder, Kokichi. 

If you want, I can share what I've got now. I think I know what poison killed Kaede. And I think I know **who** killed her- it definitely wasn't Gonta." Despite being even quieter than Shuichi, her voice cut through the rest of the students.

Keebo said, "H-how...? And how come you did not tell us earlier? Were you scared of being accused?"

"Hey! You're my sidekick, so I'll protect you if you're under hot water, y'know!!"

Blank-faced, Maki said, "It took me a while to figure it out, and I don't want to go around making things more complicated than they need to be if my suspicion turns out to be incorrect. But, well, if we have no other leads...

Actually, Kirumi can back me up here. I gave a book of poisons to her. It was, to say the least, a pretty... comprehensive guide."

Kirumi blinked. "That's right, the book of poisons. As soon as I saw the cause of death, I knew that this book would be vital to our investigation. I had planned on sharing it, but I... because of everything that happened, it completely slipped my mind. Please, forgive my lapse in competence."

Maki ignored Kaito and simply hummed. "Let's see it, then." She drummed her fingers on the lectern stand.

"Hey, Maki roll! Is there something we're missing, here? C'mon, you shouldn't be scared to tell us!"

"Of course. I have nothing to hide, believe me. Kirumi somehow pulled out the large and thick book from somewhere underneath her apron and handed it to Maki. The child caregiver turned to an entry and started reading it aloud.

"Maki, what's going on-" Thirteen students glared at Kaito, and he went quiet.

 **Kirumi || Fun Fungus Murders and You!** >>  
"First, the time it takes for this poison to kill... 3 to 5 hours. Since we know that Kaede died before the dining hall was closed at 10:00 PM, that puts the time of poisoning at around... dinnertime. Keep that in mind for later. Next, symptoms of death... Subconjunctival hemorrhaging, huh."

"Which poison are you reading about? Maki, please share your-"

 **Maki || Maki's Account** >>  
"So it's just as I thought. Well. Looks like my suspicious were correct. As those who saw Kaede's face can clearly confirm, the blood from the eyes means that it can only be..." Maki trailed off. Korekiyo nodded in confirmation.

Maki opened her mouth, but no words came out. Instead, she held up the book she was reading from. It was turned to a page titled "Sakuraoi Mushrooms".

Kirumi blanched. "Sakuraoi mushrooms!? A couple of nights ago, those mushrooms in the boiler room..." She shuddered and attempted to regain her composure.

"You do not mean..."

"Were you the one that murdered Kaede?" Maki and Kirumi accused each other in unison. Ryoma glanced back and forth between the two, caught in the space between them. The tension was hot enough to melt glass.

" **Seriously!** What the hell is going on?!" Both girls turned on Kaito, murder in their eyes. "Ack..."

 **Kirumi || Poisonous Mushrooms** >>  
Kirumi rubbed her temples and took a deep breath before explaining the events that had occurred the night the motives were introduced. She did not take her eyes off Maki.

"Only those that knew about the mushrooms could have used them to commit the murder. Therefore, the only logical culprit would be Maki Haruwaka. She must have taken some of the mushrooms from the boiler room while we were disposing of them."

Maki spoke slowly. "I could say the same for you, Kirumi."

Kaito yelled, "No fucking way! I know for sure that Maki didn't kill Kaede last night!"

Korekiyo hummed, "And I do not believe Kirumi would do such a thing as well."

Shuichi looked at both of them in turn, eyes not quite meeting their heated expressions. "Do... you guys have any proof?"

"Isn't my gut instinct enough!? C'mon, Shuichi. Why wouldn't you trust Maki? I put my trust in her, and I don't think I'm wrong!"

"Keheheh... What a delightful conundrum. I don't believe that this avenue of discussion will lead to anything fruitful if neither of us have any evidence."

Kokichi said, "Why don't we just do a vote now? It's a fifty-fifty shot!" He started cackling.

Tenko scoffed. "No way! Let's talk more, there's gotta be some evidence we haven't gone over... I wouldn't trust anything Kokichi says! And besides, a girl wouldn't commit murder... unless you're a degenerate like Tsumugi Shirogane." 

Keebo closed his eyes and sparks seemed to come out of his hair. "Let's go over the murder weapon. That is, how and when did the Blackened poison Kaede in the first place? Logically, it was the tea... which still incriminates Gonta."

"That can't be right," Ryoma insisted. "How could he have heard about these Sakuraoi mushrooms? Did one of those two tell him about them?"

Maki interrupted, "No, Kirumi herself did it. She obviously poisoned Kaede's food."

Kirumi said calmly, "I did no such thing. Please, elaborate on your theory. I will prove you wrong, for everyone's sake. After all, if you vote for me, everyone except the Blackened will die."

Himiko raised her hand and drawled, "We still don't know if Maki is innocent too... Maybe she killed Kaede by using wind magic to fill the air around Kaede with poison!"

Tenko squealed and pumped her fists. "I never even thought of that. Thank you, Himiko! You're so smart!"

"No need to thank me. And, if we can't decide, we can always use my Magical Secret Deciding Coin, nyeeeh..."

Maki rolled her eyes and was about to speak, but Kaito interrupted. "I'll take it over from here! Maki thinks that, as the group's cook, you had the best opportunity to mess with everyone's food!"

 **Kirumi || Dinnertime** >>  
"That assumption, while logical, is wrong. Since we know the approximate time it takes for the poison to take effect... We know that I could only have had the opportunity to poison Kaede during dinner time. And I have an alibi for dinner... Keebo, did you not help me prepare dinner for everyone, including Kaede?" Kirumi folded her hands on the lectern, body tense.

"That's right, I did. B-But Kaede was absent from dinner, and Kirumi delivered her food to the dormitories by herself, which is fairly suspiciou-"

"Wait, why would you ask for help for making dinner? No offense, Kirumi, but that seems kind of out of character for you." Tsumugi met the eyes of the other students. "What? I'm cleared of suspicion now, right? So I can participate in the trial!"

Shuichi sighed. "Even though she's the Mastermind and... probably trying to derail the conversation, Tsumugi makes a good point. It makes you all the more suspicious, Kirumi."

Korekiyo droned, "I agree. After all, it appears as if Kirumi tried to give herself an alibi for last night's dinner. But the truth may be different... Keheheh."

Kirumi paused, considering Korekiyo's words. "Ah, I did not realize that the rest of you were unaware of my situation yesterday." 

**Kirumi || Malfunctioning Door Lock** >>  
"While I was investigating the weapons lab last night, the door lock appeared to malfunction and locked on its own. I was locked inside for a long period of time before Miu let me out. Therefore-"

"Feh! Like an invention of mine would fail!" Miu snapped. "One of you fucknuts must've locked her in there!"

Kokichi tapped his chin. "Huh? But I thought only you could lock and unlock the door? Stupid whore, you've just incriminated yourself!"

 **Miu || Door Lock Specifics** >>  
Miu sputtered unintelligibly. "Anyone can lock the door. A-And, Shuichi and Kirumi can also unlock it, not just me! F-Fuck you! You- you... public use toilet twink that-" 

"- **Like I was saying** , I was tardy in my dinner preparations. Keebo kindly offered to help me cook everyone's food. After I finished, I promptly went to the dormitories for my guard shift with our four dinner trays."

"Wait, four? No, no. That can't be right... Unless..." Shuichi's eyes went wide.

"Oh! By the way, I just wanted to thank you for that dinner meal you brought me **during your guard shift** , Kirumi."

"Do not mention it. It is my duty, after all. Why would you mention...?"

No particular reason, I just thought that it was excellent. I hate shirataki noodles, you know. They have a weird texture." Tsumugi's smile stretched a little too wide and thin.

"Say whaaa?" Tenko's hands flew up and she went into a defensive stance. "Kirumi brought you-"

Class Trial #2: The murder of Kaede Akamatsu  
**INTERMISSION**

Monokuma popped up onto your screen. "Hey, guys! Thanks for reading! I would give some commentary on modern events now, but in the interest of keeping this work timeless, I'll leave it to the author's notes for that stu-"

Monokid shouting overpowered Monokuma, "Where's my fuckin' Nutella!! I swear to God, Monodam! You sack of shit, I want my hard labor-earned foooood!!! If I'm a wage slave, at least let me enjoy consumer goods goddamnit!"

Monokuma turned back to face the reader and whispered confidentially, "By the way, sorry if the mystery is obvious from the start. I'm trying my best here, you know?" Before it could continue its stupid metacommentary, a spray painted pink taxi dropped on Monokuma's head. The chapter ended.

<><><><><><><><><><>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's see... I started writing chapter 3, about a quarter of the way through the outline. It's a fun one, by the way! After this trial ends, there will probably be a short break before posting again, though it's not like I've stuck to a schedule with these lmao. Weekly posts until then (probably) (not actually). Anyways, cya. And as always, thanks for reading!


	11. Not the Furniture's Fault! [2.B.3]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for the patented antingaround-style Debate Scrum that you never knew you needed! The group finally makes some headway in determining the cause of death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to the shitshow! Not beta read, so if you see any mistakes, um... no you didn't! This chapter is late because I decided to add in a Debate Scrum last minute, and then ended up making it nothing like a traditional Debate Scrum so I really just inflated the word count for like, no reason. Oh well, at least Shuichi ends up carrying the chapter less.

Class Trial #2: The murder of Kaede Akamatsu  
 **In Session**

"Say whaaa?" Tenko's hands flew up in a defensive stance. "Kirumi brought you dinner during her guard shift? But didn't she already make a meal for Tsumugi before going to the weapons room!?" Tenko air-punched in Tsumugi's direction. "Stop trying to confuse us, degenerate murderer!"

Ryoma frowned and added, "If I remember correctly, Kaede had a dinner tray with her when she visi- er- **brought food** to Tsumugi. I wondered out loud why Kirumi had made dinner so early, and Kaede didn't correct my assumption."

"Don't you dare agree with me, male. It'll make what I say less trustworthy!"

"Wouldn't it actually help your case...?"

"That is rather odd. I did not set foot into the kitchen until later that evening. And I made Tsumugi's dinner along with everyone else's, only after I returned from the weapons lab." Kirumi tented her hands and stared at Tenko and Ryoma in turn. "...Kaede brought Tsumugi dinner? When did this happen?"

"During me and Tenko's shift. Happened at around five in the afternoon, I think." Ryoma twirled a candy cigarette in his hand. 

Kokichi's eyes widened. "Wow! Are Tenko and Ryoma lying, or are Tsumugi and Kirumi lying? Guess we'll never know!" 

Himiko took out a Monocoin and rolled it across her fingers. "We could just use my Secret Magical Deciding C-"

"Kokichi... what if no one's lying?" Shuichi pulled his hat down, deep in thought.

"But that would make for such a **boring** class trial. And that definitely be terrible, right?"

Kaito huffed. "Hey, why are we even talking about Tsumugi's dinner right now? Let's focus on Kaede's murder instead!" 

"Kaito... It could be important." Shuichi explained, "Between Kirumi getting locked in the weapons lab and the two separate dinners Tsumugi supposedly received, you have to agree that something suspicious is going on here. If we figure out the timeline of events that happened last night, we might find out what happened to Kaede."

Angie's eyes glinted at Shuichi's words and she pulled out a manila envelope with a grin. "That reminds me! Atua has important evidence He wants everyone to see." She opened the envelope and waved its contents in the air.

"What..." Shuichi's eyes widened, getting deja-vu. "Are those photographs from the...?" Angie smiled but said nothing.

"Hang on-" Keebo interjected. "Before we look at the photos, we can't rule out Gonta as the Blackened yet, can we? Is it not still possible that the tea at the crime scene was poisoned? We don't want to be overlooking the obvious answer."

"That's true. But I believe that Kaede's tea was not poisoned- and that makes Gonta much less suspicious." Korekiyo crossed his arms and looked around the room, making sure everyone's attention was on him.

"Maki said that the first of the many symptoms of the poison will start showing themselves around an hour after ingestion, correct?" Shuichi referenced his notes and nodded in confirmation.

 **Korekiyo || Kaede's Tea** >>  
"I saw Kokichi drink some of the liquid left in the teacup at the crime scene. If it is indeed poisoned, we should have seen at least some of the symptoms take effect by now, correct?"

Ryoma blinked, surprise showing on his face. "Why would you do that? Do you have even an ounce of self-preservation? ...Well, I guess I'm not one to talk."

Kokichi snickered. "Aw, you caught me! Yup, I took a sip of the tea. Feel completely fine so far, though! I guess that means Gonta's off the hook. For now.

"Thank you for proving innocence!" Gonta smiled gratefully.

Okay~! All we have to do now is choose between Maki and Kirumi. Nee-hee hee... don't look so scared, guys. With the Ultimate Detective probably on our side, we'll figure this all out."

"Hey." Maki looked to her left and snapped her fingers in front of Angie, who was staring blankly off into the distance. "So are you ever going to show us those photos or not?" 

Angie fanned herself, photographs held between her fingers. "...Huh? Hey, Atua, did you hear something just now? Ohhhh, I should share what I found? ...Okay!" 

**Angie || Camera Shots** >>  
"Atua said that I could borrow those neat cameras Miu had, so I did!" Miu sputtered but failed to get words to come out, so Angie brazenly continued.

"I installed them in Tsumugi's room before we were all forced to gather in the gym a couple of days ago~ Let's take a look at the results, nyahahaha!" Angie's podium suddenly jerked and moved to the center of the circle. Monokuma gave an encouraging thumbs up and mouthed "Morphenomenal Trial Grounds."

"..." Angie showed the stunned group the pictures taken. "Kaede definitely broke our agreement by visiting Tsumugi... how sinful is that?! At this rate, she'll go back down to Atua's Bronze membership level~"

Tsumugi interrupted. "Hey! I didn't eat a bite of that meal, y'know! The stuff the noodles were made out of tastes nasty and reminded me of this terrible anime I watched where- oh, but never mind. You guys probably don't want to listen to me ramble about something so **unimportant**."

 **Tsumugi || Kaede's Interrogation** >>  
Tsumugi giggled, "Oh! And by the way, now that you mention this visit, I do remember Kaede taking a bite out of the meal she brought me~ It would be such an awful plot twist if my meal was poisoned, right?"

"No way! Tsumugi's meal was poisoned, and Kaede ate some of it!? How could that even have happened if Kaede made it herself?" Tenko bit her lip, stopping just short of drawing blood.

"Sorry, Gonta don't get it... How do we know Kaede make Tsumugi's dinner?"

"Well! If Kirumi wasn't the one to cook the dinner like she said, then obviously Kaede did... right? The meal wouldn't have just... appeared out of nowhere. Unless the Blackened- ack! No way!!!" 

Kokichi put his hands behind his head and smiled. "Well, we'll never know for sure without more proof. Guess it's my time to help out in this little game, right?"

 **Kokichi || Crumpled Note** >>  
Coupled with a casual shrug, Kokichi drawled, "I found this in the trash can in Kaede's room. It says 'For Tsumugi' on it! Do you think it has anything to do with this murder... Shuichi?" At the pointed question, Shuichi's eyes widened. 

"...If this note is related to the events of last afternoon, it absolutely proves that Kaede wasn't responsible for cooking Tsumugi's meal." Ryoma chewed on a candy cigarette. "Kirumi, was it you?"

"That handwriting's neater and straighter than a nun at a convent- no, never mind. Straighter than Jay Gatsby in- fuckin'- gah! Forget it. Point is, the way those letters are written are way too perfect to be anyone's other than the maid's! 

She knit her brow in response. "No, it... could not have been me. Remember, I was locked inside the weapons room for a good portion of yesterday afternoon, as evidenced by the door's audit logs. The culprit likely wanted me out of the way of the kitchen so they could prepare the meal without being spotted."

"That's right... Kaede came in near the end of our guard shift with the dinner. Isn't that right, Tenko?"

"At least you know when to ask the superior gender for help!" Tenko humphed in disdain and said, "...Yeah, she visited at around five. Kirumi was in the weapons room during that time, right?"

"Wait. We don't know if we can trust anything Kirumi says. It's possible she could have somehow locked herself in the room!" Maki pointed an accusing finger at Kirumi. "Don't forget, you're the only one besides me who knew about the mushrooms. So you're still one of the biggest suspects."

Keebo took some time to process her words. "Are you suggesting that Kirumi made the poisoned dinner for Tsumugi before heading upstairs and locking herself in the weapons lab for several hours? To... mess with our understanding of the timeline of events? That... seems reasonable."

"What a convoluted idea, Maki... And all to simply obfuscate the timeline of events? An interesting idea. But as you may recall, it's necessary to tap on the locking mechanism mounted on the outside of the room in order to lock the door. Seems impossible to me."

"Kirumi... definitely used magic, then."

Shuichi murmured, "Maybe an automated device... Miu's drone...? ...No, that can't be right."

"Hey, I'll put on my thinking cap, too. I wonder... could the Blackened re~ally be Kirumi? ...Hmm, yup! Seems likely, nee-hee hee..."

"You MENace! Do you want us all to die!? I'm telling you, there's no way Kirumi's behind this! ...Also, she's female, so there!"

"Gonta thinks that we're wasting our time...! He doesn't think there's any way Kirumi could do something so complicated."

"B-But, actually, if there's glue in the warehouse... a thin wire... um..." Shuichi visibly deflated. "Never mind. Let's just move on."

"We can't do that. Don't you remember? Kirumi's the only person except me who would've known about the poison mushrooms. That should warrant some suspicion..."

"Aw, come on... both my sidekicks are arguing...! Who am I supposed to support?" Kaito paused, deliberating. " **Alright**! Maki, since you're more confident, I totally agree with you!" Shuichi raised his eyebrow at Kaito, who threw a "subtle" wink and nod in his direction.

"I agree with Shuichi, this theory is too farfetched. Who knows how long we have until we have to vote? I'm sure there are other, more tangible leads we can follow-up on."

"It is alright. If it accelerates the trial and restores everyone's confidence in me, I am ready to defend my innocence with all my might."

"Alright, settle down guys! This is too big a problem for a Rebuttal Showdown to handle. Cuz it looks like we have an entire Spli~t Opinion here!"

Tsumugi bristled. "Rebuttal Showdown...? That's a stupid name. Let's just talk it out-"

Monokuma ignored her and continued. "We're gonna do a Debate Scrum instead." Tsumugi groaned and dragged her hands down her face.

"Da-da-da-daaah~ Presentiinnngggg... The Ultimate Academy's very own Morphenomenal Trial Grounds! Alright-y, kids... vote for the side you wanna be on!" The screens mounted on the lecterns lit up, and the students took a half minute to make their choices. Finally, all sixteen podiums started to rise into the air through, like, maglev. Really fun EDM blared from speakers that popped out of the walls. 

**Should Kirumi be suspected?**  
Kirumi could be the Blackened!: Angie, Himiko, Kaito, Keebo, Kokichi, Maki, Miu, and Ryoma  
Kirumi can't be the Blackened!: Gonta, Kirumi, Korekiyo, Shuichi, Tenko, and Tsumugi

"Um- I guess I'll start off. I've went over everything I can think of, and... well... I don't think there's any way Kirumi could've locked the weapons room door from the inside. In other words, it wasn't her doing, I think."

"Even though you're the Ultimate Detective, you aren't perfect with this stuff. You didn't figure out Kaede's shotput trap without our help, did you? Um... No offense." 

"Nyeh... Wait, I know how we can figure out if Kirumi used magic to unlock the door."

"Alright! Do it, Himiko! It'll prove that Kirumi wasn't the Blackened, right?"

"...Okay. First, I need a gun."

"Himiko, wait. What-"

"Then, if I shoot you and you don't explode into a bunch of gold butterflies, we'll know for sure you're not a witch."

"Oh, that actually sounds familiar!" Tsumugi tapped her temple. "Alright, let's do it. And, while we're at it, can we move to a private island as well?"

Ignoring the two, Maki asked, "Is it possible to lock the door using the Monopads? Seems simple enough."

"Tch, I'm a genius, not a miracle worker! Those Monopads are hard to fuck with. So there's no way to lock the weapons lab 'cept by pressing down on the lock. Give it a good, hard press..."

"Alright, can we **please** move on?" Shuichi's face was turning red.

"It's possible that the two events- Kirumi cooking the poisoned meal and Kirumi getting locked inside the weapons lab- are not connected." Keebo suggested. "Even if we can't conclusively prove that Kirumi was the one to lock the door of the weapons lab, it does not rule her from suspicion."

"Awfully convenient, don't you think?"

"W-Well... It could've been a glitch-" Miu turned with comical slowness and glared at Keebo. "Er, I meant- maybe it was just an accident?"

"Surely the person would have spoken up by now if that was the case."

"See? These events must have been premediated. We should drop this train of questioning, I doubt it will lead us anywhere."

"Why is Kiyo so sure that Kirumi wasn't the murderer, huh? Hey, Atua, is he hid~ing something?" Angie tilted an ear up to the sky and frowned after a while. "Oh, Atua went to grab some beer. I'll ask again later."

"And now we're back at square one," Kokichi sighed dramatically. "Oh, if only there was someone here that could give us some extra evidence! If only, if only!"

"Um, Gonta thinks Tsumugi wants to say something?" He pointed at the cosplayer, who had been patiently raising her hand.

"Thanks for giving me a chance to talk, but I wasn't gonna say anything important. I just wanted to mention that Kaede brought me shirataki noodles. Did you know that they make that stuff out of the konjac plant?"

"Konjac is that starchy yam, right? ...You can make noodles out of them? Why not just... eat ramen..." 

"Fuckin' rich people..."

"Who cares. Kokichi, it sounds like you know something. What is it." 

"Oh, I think Kirumi cares! Don't you want to hear me out?" Tsumugi sighed.

"Kch, don't listen to a single thing that male says. I have a feeling that he's worse than all the rest!"

"Hey now, at least I'm not the Mastermind... probably~!"

"If you are referring to what I think you are... How do you know that."

"Former Mastermind here, remember? I know aalllll about you guys." Tsumugi smiled, but her thoughts were clearly someplace else.

"You do not have the right to share my secrets." Kirumi glared her down with an intensity that could rival Maki's, and the rest of the conversations quieted. Weird how the Ultimate Child Caregiver and the Ultimate Maid were the scariest people here. 

"Kirumi~ Do you wanna tell us something? You can whisper it to me, Atua will hear your darkest confession... for a small price, since we're a non-profit organization and all."

"My dignity is of no importance to me," Kirumi lied. "As long as this will help answer the question we have had all along, I will tell you all my terrible secret..."

Everyone waited with bated breath. (The Debate Scrum music playing in the background stopped and changed to Finding Peace Party. Good mood setter!)

"I cannot- Forgive me, this is hard to say. **I cannot cook using konjac.** Whenever I touch the vegetable, something nearly always happens, whether it be a burn, knife accident, vehicular manslau- ah. Regardless... As long as you trust either me or Tsumugi, we have proof that I wasn't the one who made the dinner." 

"Hah! If not one, but two women give evidence for Kirumi's innocence, how can you object!?"

Kaito grinned. "It's not the strongest proof in the world, but... sometimes, you just gotta have a little trust, yeah?"

"Trust the Mastermind or a possible Blackened?" Kokichi squinted. "Not sure if you're overly optimistic or just fucking stupid. This awesome, amazing Killing Game runs on suspicion and malice!"

"...I agree with Kokichi," Ryoma admitted. "Tsumugi has already tried to kill us all once, during the first trial. What if she's trying to sabotage the trial again?"

Maki looked like she was about to agree, but made eye contact with Tsumugi and paused. "Why would she try and kill us all, after going through all the trouble of setting up this whole Killing Game? ...At any rate, this looks like a dead end. Let's just drop it and file this info for later."

"What about Miu's, er, odd-it log? Gonta doesn't know much about trees, but can Miu's log tell us who was the person that locked the weapons lab door?"

"Nope! But Gonta," Miu smirked, the serious topic at hand apparently completely forgotten. "I thought you knew a lot about trees!? I bet you've got a nice, long, thick, rugged tree in your pants! Kya-hahaha!"

"G-Gonta doesn't think he has any trees in his pants, that would tickle!"

"Maybe you should check and see!!"

"Gonta, please don't listen to anything Miu says," Shuichi interjected before Gonta could even think about pulling down his pants. "But anyway, you bring up a good point. There **was** something very odd about the audit log." Shuichi scrolled through his notes in rapid haste and sweatdropped, feeling the pressure of everybody's eyes on him. 

"...!"

 **Miu || Door Lock Audit Log** >>  
 **Shuichi || Door Lock Fingerprints** >>  
Shuichi muttered, "These two clues, when used together, can help us figure out how Kirumi got locked inside the weapons lab. Let's look at the audit log first...

The first person to lock the weapons lab door was Miu herself, after installation. After a couple of days, I went to investigate the weapons lab. That was the second lock recorded on the log. The last two locks happened on the same day, two hours apart. The first lock at 3:46 PM was made by an unknown party, who kept Kirumi locked inside the weapons room for a few hours. 

And... I believe that the last lock was made by Kirumi!" Shuichi looked to her in confirmation, who nodded. "That clears everything up, then!" He let out a deep breath.

Ryoma frowned. "How so? It's cool that you're finally getting into the swing of things, but slow down a little for the rest of us, yeah?"

"R-Right, sorry. I dusted the lock and only found two fingerprints on it, but there should be four prints if the audit log is to be believed. Monokuma insists that the fingerprint results are accurate, though. But, um, there is one obvious way to avoid leaving a fingerprint. Kirumi didn't leave a print after locking the door because..." Shuichi stopped, pointedly looking at the other students.

"She used magic!"

"She wiped them off afterwards?"

"It must be because I wear gloves."

"She closed the door with her prehensile tits!"

"Kirumi's right. So now, let's ask the question... who was the unknown student that locked the door for the third time? Miu and I locked the door the first two times, but both of us have our fingertips exposed, so that means that the unknown student must not have left fingerprints." 

"I knew it was a male that did it!" Tenko pointed. Korekiyo shifted and looked down at his bandaged hands.

Kirumi pointed out, "None of the robot bears have fingerprints either. Why suspect Korekiyo of foul play?"

"While it's true that one of the Kubz or Monokuma itself could have done it, the facts in the case so far lead me to believe that the person who locked you inside was the Blackened. Think about it... the timing of events line up all too well. While you were locked inside the weapons room, the Blackened could have easily cooked a poisoned meal meant for Tsumugi."

"Huuhh? So now Kirumi isn't the suspect anymore? It's Korekiyo now? You sure move fast, Shuichi." Kokichi tilted his head and smiled. "...Okay, sure! But how are we gonna choo-

"Is this not all conjecture based off of mere theory and a single scrap of evidence?" Korekiyo frowned underneath his mask and tapped his foot. "And is it not possible to hide your fingerprints? I'm sure the warehouse, for example, contains gloves or..."

"I-I- Yes, but-"

"Hey! Stop doubting Shuichi and let him continue, alright?! He isn't the Ultimate Detective for nothing, you know." Kaito patted Shuichi on the shoulder and shot him an encouraging grin. "You got this!"

"...Right. Okay... Um. Here's what my theory, and what we know so far...

The Blackened somehow heard about the poisonous mushrooms... Then, the next day, they locked Kirumi inside the weapons lab so that she wouldn't interfere with their plan. They left no fingerprint on the locking mechanism. Then, they cooked a meal for Tsumugi, lacing it with the poisonous mushrooms. Kaede saw the meal and- and then..." Shuichi wiped the sweat off his brow and paused.

Ryoma muttered, "When you say it like that, this unlucky chain of events becomes so much clearer. But why did Kaede, of all people, have to be caught in the middle of it all? No justice, huh. Should've been m-" 

"No, Ryoma, wait... Something doesn't seem right here. The evidence is... I need to figure out what..." Shuichi took a shuddering breath and closed his eyes, and the others turned attentively toward the detective.

"Guys? Hey, hey! ... Atua wants to know something." Ryoma paused mid-sentence and frowned. "So Monokuma and its children don't have fingerprints, but what about the other robot in the room? Keebo's hands are made of metal, right?"

"That's true~ Hey, do you think that Keebo is the owner of the weapons lab? Maybe he's been lying this whole time, and his **real Ultimate talent** is the Ultimate Killer Robot."

"Assuming that just because I'm not human, I don't have fingerprints, and furthermore, that I am capable or murder...!? That's robophobia!"

Miu roughly tugged Keebo's left hand closer to her and squinted at it. Then, she glowered and ran her index finger over his thumb a couple of times. 

"Figures. Ida-bitch-head built sweat pores into the palm and emulated the texture of human skin, but didn't go far enough to etch fingerprints onto the- wait-"

"What a plot twist! Looks like Kiyo isn't the only suspect now. Isn't this an entertaining trial, Monokuma?"

Monokuma jumped awake. "Wha... Sorry, I must not have gotten enough shut-eye last night. Remember kids, always get 7-8 hours for maximum rest!" It blinked sleepily and clicked a few buttons; the background music stopped and the podiums started falling back down to their original positions. 

"I'm glad we have arrived to this conclusion." Korekiyo's mask shifted up a miniscule amount as the podiums began their descent. "I hope we're ready to continue our discussion, then... the Blackened can't hide their sins from us forever." 

"Regardless of who the culprit is, we still have one unanswered question... How could they have known about the Sakuraoi mushrooms?"

"If you didn't tell them, and I didn't tell them... Well. Something's not right here."

"Why would someone kill in the first place!?" Tenko glowered. "Men will really do anything to release their pent-up aggression. I hate toxic masculinity! They're always looking for an outlet."

"Oh, Tenko, that's it!" Keebo shouted in excitement. "We need to figure out a way to determine who watched the Kubz Pad motive videos! That way, we can figure out who had the best reason to commit murder!"

Class Trial #2: The murder of Kaede Akamatsu  
 **INTERMISSION**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I haven't actually played Umineko. Anyway, trial is nearing completion. I wonder why I chose such a heavy game to write a fanfiction about when writing Miu's dick jokes make me cackle... should've stuck with slice of life. And that sure was a slip-up near the end there, huh? I've given up on an "update schedule", next chapter is going up when I feel like it!!!
> 
> Thanks for reading everyone <3


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